A Secret
by McBrideReedusLover
Summary: Ed has been sentenced to 6 months in jail, which means Carol is free from him for a few months. When leaving the court house, she runs into an old classmate, Daryl Dixon. Eventually, they become friends, and maybe more. Caryl fic, AU, no walkers. T for language and suggestive themes.
1. Chapter 1

**A Secret**

**Chapter 1**

_**A/N: I know I'm working on another AU Caryl fic, but this one popped into my head last night, and I've been dying to write it down for you guys! So I'm going to have two stories at once, both AU, but very different from each other! There are no walkers, but they are the age they'd be in the show. I can tell this will be an exciting story! So please, enjoy it!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Carol Peletier sat in the court room, listening to the judge ramble on. She wasn't really paying attention, she was only praying that Ed got put into jail. She didn't care how long, just as long as she got a break. Lately, he had been very violent. She was covering the bruises on her arms by wearing a long sleeved dress. She only wished he was here because of her. She only wished she had the guts to report him. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Ed was here because he got into a serious bar fight and severely injured a man. His wife had pressed charges against him. She was secretly thankful to her for doing that. If Ed was put in jail her and Sophia could be free, even if it was for a short amount of time.

"Ed Peletier, you are here by sentenced to six months in the Atlanta State Prison." Carol let out a sigh of relief. He would be gone for six months. Maybe it would give her enough time to gain her strength and finally get rid of him once and for all. The judge got up and walked out of the room. Carol stood up and looked over at Ed. He glared at her as two men took him away. She quickly walked out of the court room. She was looking down at the floor as she turned the corner. The next thing she knew she had collided with a large man.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry." Carol looked up. She was met with a very familiar pair of blue eyes. "Daryl? Daryl Dixon?" Carol was surprised. She hadn't seen Daryl since highschool, and that was many years ago now. He still looked the same, only his hair was a little longer than before.

Daryl looked down at the small woman. It was Carol from his math and science class. He was a little surprised to see her after all these years. "Oh, it's no trouble Carol. I should probably watch where I'm goin' next time." He rubbed the back of his neck. Why was she at the court house anyway?

"Maybe if I wasn't looking at the ground and walking, we wouldn't have crashed into each other." She gave him a small smile. "So, why are you here? If you don't mind me asking."

"My brother Merle. He got busted a while back for drug dealin'. He was in jail for a bit, now they decidin' what to do with him since his sentence is over." Daryl shrugged. "'Bout you?"

"My husband." Carol sighed. "He was just sentenced to six months in prison for seriously injuring a man at the bar." Words couldn't express how relieved she was right now. She was free, even if it was only for six months. Atleast she wouldn't have to worry about him coming home drunk and taking all of the days frustrations out on her. "Anyway, it was nice talking to you again, but I have to go pick up my daughter Sophia from school." She smiled and started walking away. She stopped after a few steps, remembering she had taken a cab to the court house since her car was in the shop. It should be ready to go now. She looked back to see Daryl leaning against the wall. "Uhm, Daryl?"

"Hm?" Daryl looked over at her, waiting for her to continue.

"My car is at the shop, and I need to get my daughter from school. Would it be too much trouble to ask you for a ride to the shop so I can get my car?" She bit her bottom lip. She didn't want to bother him.

"Oh, yeah, sure. Merle won't be out for a bit anyway." Daryl walked past her, heading towards the parking lot. Carol let out a sigh of relief, and hurried after him. She found him standing by a blue truck. "Hop in." He gestured for her to get in the passenger side. She quickly opened the door and buckled her seat belt.

"Thank you so much. I don't want to trouble you." Carol glanced at him as he started the truck.

"Ain't a problem." Daryl nodded to her, and backed out of the parking lot.

* * *

"Well, thank you for the lift Daryl. Do you want some money for gas or something, I might have a twenty in here somewhere." Carol started to dig through her purse.

"It's fine. I don't need nothin'." He shook his head.

"Are you sure? I mean it isn't any trouble-"

"I dont need anythin'. Don't worry 'bout it." Daryl unlocked the doors.

"Well, it was good seeing you again Daryl. Maybe we'll spot each other around town again. Good luck with your brother!" Carol smiled and closed the truck door. He gave her a nod before driving off. She walked into the shop and found Dale Hovarth, the manager of the autoshop. "Hey Dale, is my car ready? I need to pick up my daughter from school."

"Yep, she's all ready." Dale smiled and led her to where her car was.

"Great. Thanks Dale." She took the keys from him and sent him a warm smile. "We'll see you around." She got in the car. It ran so much smoother now. She drove down the street towards the school. She parked on the street and got out of the car. The dismissal bell had not gone yet, so she wasn't late. She found her friend Lori standing with another woman, just talking. She walked up to them and smiled.

"Hey Carol." Lori smiled. The other lady walked away, going toward a car with another woman stepping out. Lori glanced around, and then whispered. "How did court go?"

"Ed was sentenced to six months in prison." Carol said quietly. The Grimes family had known all about Ed and what kind of man he was. Rick was a cop, and he hated that he couldn't really do anything about it. The only way he could do something was if Carol pressed charges, or Rick caught him red handed.

"Well thats a relief. Atleast you and Sophia can have some peace now." Lori gave her friend a reassuring smile. "Just remember I'm always here if you need anything."

"Thanks Lori." Carol looked towards the front doors as the bell rang. She saw Sophia and Carl talking with each other as they slowly made their way towards them. Sophia had looked up to her mother, and came running, a big smile on her face. Carol opened her arms as Sophia ran into her arms. "Hi sweety." Carol hugged her daughter tight before letting go. "How was school?"

"It was really fun mom!" Sophia smiled. "We had a substitute and played fun games!"

"Really? That sounds like lots of fun." Carol looked over to Lori. "Talk to you later Lori. Bye Carl." She waved to the boy. He sent her a smile and waved back before walking away with his mother. "So, what do you say we go home and order some pizza for supper?"

"Yeah!" Sophia grinned and ran towards the car. Carol laughed and followed the eager little girl. As they got into the car, Sophia turned to her mother. "Is daddy home?"

The question pained her. She always saw the way Ed looked at her. It wasn't natural. "No. He won't be for a while."

"Really?" She saw the relief on her little girl's face. She wished Sophia could've had a better father. It wasn't fair to her. "Can it be hawaiian pizza?" Carol just laughed.

"Of course it can."

* * *

"Sophia, did you do your homework?" Carol asked as Sophia turned on the television.

"Maybe." Carol crossed her arms and stood infront of the television.

"Maybe yes, or maybe no?" The guilty look on Sophia's face said it all. "Listen, it's the weekend. Better to get it over with, right? I'll help you, and then we can watch a movie. How does that sound?" Carol tried to reason with her daughter.

"Okay! I get to pick the movie right?" Sophia looked up at her mother with her big brown eyes.

"Yes, you can pick the movie, and you pick the snacks." Carol smiled. "Now go get your books." Sophia ran off to her room to get her backpack. Carol pushed the table aside to they could both sit on the floor. Sophia came back and set a math book infront of her mother. "Just math homework?"

"Well, I did my other homework at lunch. I wanted to get it done while it was still fresh in my mind." Sophia smiled and opened the book to the page she was on. "We're doing multiplication and division. It's kind of hard." Sophia sighed.

"Alright, how about you try the first question, and if you can't get it, tell me, okay? I'll try my best to help you." Carol got up and walked into the kitchen. She grabbed herself a water and a juice box for Sophia. When she walked into the living room, she saw Sophia looking very frustrated. "Can't get it huh?" Sophia shook her head. "Okay, you take the juice box. I'll have a look and see if I can figure it out." Carol took the book from her daughter's hand. After studying the question for a few moments, she figured it out. She showed Sophia the basic steps so she would remember how to do it for the next question. It amazed her how quick of a learner Sophia was. She never failed to make her proud. It didn't take Sophia long to finish the page. "All done Soph?"

"Yep!" Sophia beamed and closed the book. "Now, we will have a feast worthy of a king! Mom, go make the popcorn and get the chips! I'll start looking for a movie that we will both enjoy!" Carol had to laugh at Sophia's comment. Sophia also never failed to make her smile even at the worst of times. She rarely got to see the outgoing side of Sophia. Whenever Ed was around, Sophia kept everything bottled up and stayed in her room as much as possible. She couldn't blame her. But when it was just the two of them, Sophia was a completely different person. She was happy. She stood up and walked into the kitchen. "Oh, don't forget to put extra butter on it!" Carol chuckled and put the popcorn bag in the microwave. While it popped, she emptied the bag of chips into a bowl for the both of them. She looked in the fridge for something they could drink. She rarely let Sophia have soda, but she had some left over grape soda, which happened to be Sophia's favorite. She pulled it out and poured them into two glasses. All the snacks were ready, and she walked back into the living room. "I found a great movie! Fox and the Hound!"

"Sounds perfect." Carol smiled and turned off the lights. Sophia put the disc in the DVD player, and then snuggled up close to her mother. Carol had the popcorn bowl between them. This was a moment she would enjoy. Just some simple mother daughter time. She would be able to do this more often, with Ed gone for a while. Sophia only had a week left of school, and then she was on summer holidays. It would be the best summer holiday they had in a long time. Carol didn't know how it could get any better than this.

* * *

"This was really fun mom!" Sophia gave her mother a sleep smile.

"Yes, it was Soph." Carol smiled and tucked her daughter into bed.

"Oh, mom?" Sophia stopped her mother from leaving.

"What is it?" Carol looked back, her hand on the light switch.

"Can we go shopping tomorrow? And then go to the park?" Sophia sent her mother a hopeful look.

"Of course we can." Carol nodded to her. "Goodnight sweety. See you in the morning." She shut off the light.

"I love you mom."

"I love you too sweetheart." Carol smiled, and closed the door gently. Today had been a wonderful day. It was the first night in a long time that she hadn't gotten beaten. She also ran into an old friend, Daryl Dixon. Back in highschool, he usually kept to himself. Every so often, he would talk to her, but she had to talk to him first. She liked Daryl. The other kids in school thought he was dangerous, all because of what his father and brother Merle were like. She could see Daryl wasn't like that. She would've liked to talk to him more, but she never really got the chance. After school he'd go straight home. He always ate by himself in the corner of the lunch room while she ate with her friends. Other than their classes together, they never spoke a word. If she could've changed that, she would've. She shrugged. Maybe she could change that now. Of course, she'd have to run into him again in order to do that. Carol yawned and headed into her bedroom. Her bed looked so big without Ed there to take up most of the space. She smiled to herself, and changed into her nightgown. She was a little sore as she crawled into bed. Hopefully, her bruises would heal soon. She couldn't keep wearing long sleeved shirts in the summer time. She yawned again. Enough thinking, it was time to get some sleep. She had a lot to do in the morning, most of it spending time with the only thing she cared about, Sophia.

_**A/N: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of A Secret! It was so much easier to write than Here We Go Again. I think this story, for now, will be focussing more on Carol. Anyway, please R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	2. Chapter 2

**A Secret**

**Chapter 2**

_**A/N: I'm glad you guys like my new story! So I hope you enjoy chapter 2!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

"Mom! Mom! Wake up!" Sophia jumped on the bed and started to shake Carol. Carol looked over at the clock and groaned.

"Sophia honey, it's only eight in the morning. Go back to sleep." Carol placed the pillow over her face and closed her eyes again.

"But mom! You said we would go shopping today! I want to get some summer clothes!" Sophia shook her again. Carol sighed. Once Sophia made up her mind, she wasn't going to give up.

"Alright." Carol moved the pillow and sat up. "Go downstairs and get yourself some cereal. I'll be down in a bit." Sophia grinned and ran out of the room. Carol sighed. So much for sleeping in. She hopped out of bed, grabbed some clothes, and walked into the washroom.

* * *

"Are you all ready to go?" Carol asked as they got in the car.

"Yes! Let's go! We've got a lot of stores to go to!" Carol shook her head with a smile. She backed out of the driveway, and headed into town. "Oh mom! Let's go to the mall since they have lots of stores inside!" Carol turned down the street which led to the mall. "And can we stop for lunch after?"

"Yes, we can stop for lunch after we're done shopping." Carol drove around the parking lot, looking for an available space. The mall was usually busy on the weekends. "Oh, any idea what you want to do for your birthday? One month away until you're finally twelve." She glanced over at Sophia, who had her thinking face on. Carol finally found a spot and parked the car. "Let's go try on some clothes." She smiled and waited until Sophia was out of the car before she pressed the little lock button on her keys. They walked into the mall. "Lead the way Soph."

Sophia smiled at her mother and started walking towards the first clothing store she saw. As soon as they walked in, something caught Carol's eye. It was a beautiful red shirt with a V-neck. It was flowy at the bottom, and had short sleeves. She picked it off the rack and held it up to her. Ed would never let her wear something like that.

"Mom, you should try that on!" Carol was startled by Sophia's voice. She turned around to find Sophia smiling. "Seriously, go, now!" She started shoving Carol towards the change rooms.

"Alright alright! I know how to walk!" Carol laughed.

"Okay, walk to the change rooms and try it on!" Sophia urged her mother to put on the shirt. Carol sighed in defeat and walked into the change room. Sophia stood and waited, looking at a kids clothing rack for something she could wear. She found a nice t-shirt with butterflies on it just as her mother walked out of the change rooms.

"Well, what do you think?" Carol asked, doing a little turn to show how it looked. She really liked it, but if her daughter didn't think it looked good, she wouldn't buy it. She was very self concious. She wasn't like that before, but after she married Ed, her confidence level dropped a lot.

"It's gorgeous mom! You should definately buy it!" Sophia clapped her hands. "When you come back out, I'm going to try this on okay." Sophia showed her mother the shirt she picked out.

"Oh, cute top." Carol smiled and walked back into the change room. A few moments later, she came back out with the top in her hand. "Hurry up Sophia, we have to move on to the next store."

"Okay mom!" Carol heard through the door of the little change room. She stood around and waited for Sophia to walk out. When she did, she was still in her normal clothes.

"Did it not fit?" Carol asked, wondering why she wasn't modeling the top.

"It did. It's good. You just said you wanted me to hurry so I didn't bother showing you." Sophia started walking towards the front of the store. "Come on mom we have to pay for our tops!" Carol followed her daughter, a small smile on her face. She couldn't wait for the perfect time to wear her new shirt.

* * *

"Finish up, then we're going home." Carol watched as her daughter ate. Sophia was always a slow eater, and was only half done when Carol had finished her food. She looked around the small food court. There were a few people sitting down, others were ordering or leaving. She glanced towards the front of the food court, and saw a familiar face standing in line.

"Okay, all done mom." Sophia stood up and waited for her mother to do the same. "Earth to mom?" She waved a hand infront of her face.

"Oh, what?" Carol looked at her daughter. "You're finished, great." She got up and grabbed the tray. She placed the scraps in the garbage and put the tray on the stack with the others. She started walking towards the familiar face. "Hello Daryl." She smiled.

Daryl looked over to see Carol standing there with a little girl. It must have been her daughter. It was amazing how much she looked like her. "Hey."

"What brings you to the mall today?" She asked, holding their shopping bags in one hand.

"Had to get a new pair of jeans, other ones had a bunch of holes in 'em." Daryl shrugged. "'Bout you?"

"Had to get some new clothes for Sophia." Carol nudged Sophia. "Soph, this is Daryl Dixon. I knew him back when we were teenagers. That was a long time ago." Carol laughed. "Daryl, this is my daughter Sophia."

"Hi..." Sophia went into shy mode, and ducked her head down. Daryl gave her a small nod. He was very awkward around children. He never really knew what to say to them.

"Well, it was-" Carol was interrupted by her cell phone going off. "Excuse me." She turned around and looked at the text. It was a message from Lori that was sent to a lot of other people. She looked at the first few names. Shane, Andrea, Herself, Maggie Greene, Glenn Rhea, Daryl Dixon, Carol stopped reading right there. Lori knew Daryl Dixon? How on earth? She looked back at him. He too was looking down at his phone. "You know Lori Grimes?"

Daryl looked up at her. "Not really. I know Rick, seen him a few times cause of Merle. Had to bail him out lots. Me and him hang out every so often." Daryl shrugged. "Why?"

"Well, I was reading who she sent this message to, and you were listed. I was just a little surprised thats all." Carol continued to read the text. There was something about a Grimes Barbecue Bash. Some sort of party. It was a new tradition they were going to start. In the message, it said kids were allowed. So Sophia would be able to go with her and spend some time with Carl. The other people on the list she knew. Shane and Andrea were also her friends. Maggie and Glenn were more Lori's friends, but she had met them before. They were younger than them, but they were still nice. "So I guess you're invited to this Grimes Barbecue party?"

"Apparently. Don't know if I'll go though. Wouldn't know anyone anyway." Daryl ran a hand through his hair.

"You'd know me." Carol gave him a small smile. "Well, me and Sophia will be going. That way you can spend some time with Carl, right sweetheart?"

"I guess so..." Carol laughed. Sophia was still acting very shy around the strange man infront of her.

"Well, we'll see you there maybe." Carol waved goodbye to him and started walking away. "Here Soph, take some of the bags." She handed a few of the lighter ones to Sophia. Carol reached into her pockets for the keys, and unlocked the car door. She popped the trunk and placed the bags inside. "Well, that was a good day wasn't it?"

"Who was that man mommy?" Sophia asked as they started to drive out of the parking lot.

"He was an old friend." Carol smiled.

"Was he your boyfriend or something?"

"What? No he wasn't my boyfriend!" Carol was completely taken by surprise at her daughters question. Her and Daryl Dixon? Sure, he was cute and all, but she never thought about him like that. Right?

"Oh, I was only asking because you were staring at him with a giant smile on your face." Sophia shrugged. Carol could feel the heat rise to her face. Had she been staring at him? She didn't realize.

"Well, no. We've never been together ever." Carol kept her eyes on the road.

"Are you going to anytime soon?"

"Sophia, why are you asking such rediculous questions?" Carol turned to her daughter.

"I'm just wondering." Sophia shrugged. "You just looked really happy to see him. You're never like that with dad. I just thought that's what people did when they liked someone."

"I like Daryl as a friend. That's it." Carol set the story straight. "He is just a friend, and that is all he will ever be. Okay?"

"Okay." Sophia was silent for a bit. "Do we have to go to that party?"

"Well, yes. We wouldn't want Daryl to be by himself would we?" Carol regretted her reason for going. "Lori invited us too." She quickly added. God, what if she did like him? She hadn't seen him in so many years. Sure, she had a small crush on him back then, but she had gotten over that hadn't she?

Sophia looked at her mother. There she was, talking about Daryl. "Are you sure you don't like him mommy?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Actually, she wasn't so sure. But it was wrong to like him. She was married, and he was probably with somebody. Every woman would want to be with him. His husky voice, his gorgeous blue eyes, his overall appearance. Oh god, what was wrong with her? "But we're going to that party, and that's final."

Sophia let out a frustrated sigh. She didn't really want to go to that party. She could spend it with her mom, but then she'd have to be with that Daryl guy. She didn't even know him, and it seemed like he didn't like kids. She didn't want to hang out with Carl the whole time either. Sure, he was a friend, but she hung out with him enough at school. She had every class with him.

"If you don't want to go, you can stay home and I'll get a babysitter." Carol glanced over at Sophia. She could tell by the disgusted look on her face, that she didn't want a babysitter. "Then you're going."

"What if they don't have anything I like." Sophia whined.

"They'll have hotdogs and burgers. You like both of those things Sophia. Why don't you want to go?" Carol questioned her daughter.

"Well, I don't want to be with Carl the whole time. And you're going to be with that Daryl guy. I don't think he likes me." Sophia mumbled.

"Daryl likes you just fine. He's just shy like you. Just give him a chance." Give him a chance? It sounded like she was dating him. This needed to stop.

"Fine." Sophia sighed, and looked out the window.

"Alright." Carol pulled into the driveway. She popped the trunk again, and took out the bags. She opened the front door, and gave Sophia her bags to put in her room. Sophia ran off upstairs. Carol walked up the stairs into her bedroom. She took out the top and smiled to herself. Tonight she'd be able to wear it. She'd be able to wear something nice for a change, something with color instead of a plain old t-shirt. She'd be able to mingle with everyone instead of staying at Ed's side while he drank and cursed at her for making him go to this party. She'd be able to do a lot of things now, with Ed gone. She just hoped the six months lasted a long time. She wanted to enjoy the days she had by herself. She wanted to enjoy her freedom.

* * *

"Hey Daryl, glad to see you made it." Rick smiled as Daryl walked into the backyard. "Just go grab a plate and some food. We're just waiting on Carol and Andrea."

"Thanks." Daryl walked past Rick towards the table. He grabbed a plate and looked at the assortment of food. He decided on a hotdog, since he had a burger for lunch.

"Carol! Sophia! Glad you could come to the first ever Grimes Barbecue!" Daryl turned around as he heard Lori shouting.

"No problem! We're glad to be here." Carol smiled. "Sophia, why don't you grab a plate for yourself?" Carol gave Sophia a little push while she started talking to Lori. Sophia rolled her eyes and walked over to where Daryl was standing. She looked up at him before grabbing a plate.

"Do you like my mom?" She asked.

"Uh... I guess?" Daryl found that question very strange. What did she mean by like exactly?

"Okay." Sophia said and then walked off. Daryl stood there and scratched his head. She was a strange one alright. He looked up to see Carol walking over.

"Was she talking to you?" Carol asked as he glanced at Sophia who was sitting on the ground eating some chips.

"Little bit." Daryl said. "She just asked a question is all. Nothin' like a full on conversation."

"Oh?" Carol grabbed a plate. "What did she ask you?" She grabbed a burger and put some ketchup on it.

"If I liked you." Daryl shrugged. Carol almost dropped her plate. That sneaky little girl. She didn't believe her, so she asked Daryl. "Didn't know how she meant that... But I said yeah."

Carol tried not to turn red. "I guess I can't even talk to an old friend without her jumping to conclusions..." She laughed nervously.

Daryl faught the urge to smirk at her comment. "Well, she is just a kid."

"Yeah. She doesn't understand that women can be friends with men without it being something else." She laughed again. 'Carol shut up, you're not making it any better for yourself.' She scolded herself. She hated that. When she was nervous she just started rambling.

Daryl glanced down at her arm. She was wearing the short sleeved shirt, so he could see most of the skin. It was covered in bruises. "What happened to your arm?" He asked, looking back up at her.

"Oh..." Carol had completely forgotten about the bruises. She couldn't tell him that her husband was an abusive asshole. "I uh... I fell."

Daryl did not believe her for a second, but it was clear she didn't want to tell him, so he let it go. No one got that many bruises from falling. To him, they looked like they were there from someone else. He knew it all too well from his childhood. "Must've been a pretty bad fall."

"Yeah, it was." Carol looked off into the distance.

"Does your arm hurt at all?" Daryl asked.

"No, I forget they were even there." Carol shrugged and took a bite of her burger. She had completely forgotten about that too. She looked over at Sophia, who obviously had been watching them. She smiled slightly. "I'm going to go sit by Sophia. You're welcome to join if you want to." Carol walked over to Sophia and sat down on the grass with her. Daryl walked over a little while later, and sat down beside them. They all ate in silence, not really knowing what to say to one another. Carol was actually quite relieved. She didn't want Sophia asking any more questions.

* * *

"The party was great Lori. Thank you for inviting us." Carol thanked her friend as they got ready to leave.

"I'm glad you decided to show up." Lori smiled, and then moved closer to Lori. "I also saw you talking to Daryl for a while. Is there something I should know about? I can keep a secret." Lori smirked and nudged Carol.

"Nothing is going on between us! I just ran into him yesterday after court. And today at the mall. And then here. It's nothing. We're not even really friends." Carol felt her face heating up.

"Mhm, that's not what you used to think in highschool." Carol gasped. Lori knew about that? "Thats right. I know that secret." She winked. "Look, I think it's totally alright for you like him. Ed is a violent bastard who is in jail. What he doesn't know doesn't hurt him. Daryl is a good looking guy, you should hook up with him."

"I'm not going to do that Lori. It's not right. I'm a married woman. Regardless of the man, I was raised to stay faithful. And I will." Carol stood up for what she believed in.

"All I'm saying is if you want to snatch him up for a while, go for it. I won't tell a soul."

"I'll think about that." Carol rolled her eyes. "Come on Sophia, time to go." Carol waved for Sophia to follow. "See you later Lori."

"You think about it." Lori smirked. Carol just shook her head. Everyone was going mad, including her. Hopefully it would stop. She didn't need this. It was against her beliefs to have feelings for someone who wasn't her husband, even though she despised Ed. She sighed. It didn't help that she got his cell phone number either. She didn't know why she asked him for it, but he didn't find it weird or anything. Atleast he didn't act like it. It's not like she'd be texting him or calling him non stop. There was no harm in it. She had Rick's number, didn't mean she liked him or anything like that. She was just overreacting. Everything was harmless. They were just friends, and thats all they would ever be. Just friends.

_**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	3. Chapter 3

**A Secret**

**Chapter 3**

_**A/N: I'm putting Here We Go Again on hold for a bit. It's just I'm having so much trouble staying focussed on it, but with this story I feel really into it. I'll get back to Here We Go Again eventually, don't worry. For now though, I'm going to work on this story. So I hope you enjoy it!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

"Hey Sophia, are you okay?" Carl asked as he ran up to her at recess. All day it seemed like something was bothering her. She was his best friend, if something was wrong, he wanted to help her. He'd listen to her problems.

"I guess." Sophia shrugged. She was a little upset, mainly because her mom hadn't spent much time with her lately. Saturday was the first and the last time they'd hung out in a while. Lately, Carol had been acting all girly and texting Daryl. Sophia didn't understand why she had to. Wasn't she enough to make her mother smile? Didn't her mother enjoy spending time with her?

"Something must be bothering you. You can tell me, I won't tell a soul." Carl gave her a friendly smile.

"It's just, my mom. She hasn't paid much attention to me since that barbecue. She is so interested in _Daryl_." Right now, she didn't really like Daryl. He was taking her mom away from her. She really hoped that Carol only liked Daryl as a friend. If it were anything more, Sophia would go insane. She did not want her mother dating Daryl Dixon.

"Daryl Dixon?" Carl asked. Sophia nodded. "My dad hangs out with him sometimes. He's pretty cool. He has a crossbow and a motorcycle! It's the coolest thing ever!" Carl beamed. He still remembered the day Daryl brought it over for him to see. Usually, Daryl didn't talk to him, but when he asked about the crossbow, it was like Daryl had transformed into someone completely different.

"He has a crossbow?" Sophia tilted her head. She had always wanted to see one of those. She had seen one on television before, but never in real life. She wanted to learn how to shoot one.

"Yeah! You should ask him about it if you ever see him again! I'm sure he'd tell you all about it!" Sophia considered this. Maybe, just maybe, she could get along with Daryl. Carl seemed to be fond of him, maybe she should give him a shot as well? Besides, Carol always seemed to smile when he was mentioned, or when she was talking to him. Maybe them being together wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

"Hey mom?" Sophia asked as her mother cooked dinner.

"Yes?" Carol glanced back at Sophia.

"Are you going to see Daryl any time soon?" She was very interested in that crossbow. "If you do, can I come with you?"

Carol stopped. Her daughter wanted to spend time with Daryl? Lately she seemed disgusted every time she mentioned him. Was her daughter feeling okay? "Why do you want to come with me if I do see him?"

"I don't know..." Sophia shrugged. Carol raised a brow at her, and turned back around.

"I guess if you want to, you could. Though I haven't planned to see him." Carol turned off the stove. She grabbed two bowls and poured an even amount of soup in each. "Here you go. Chicken noodle, your favorite."

"Yay!" Sophia smiled and quickly started to eat. Carol chuckled and took a spoonful of her own.

"Oh, did you decide what you want to do for your birthday?" Carol asked, looking at her daughter as she practically inhaled the soup. "And slow down."

Sophia slowly put the spoon down and gave her mother a guilty smile. "Sorry. And I was thinking you and me could go to the fair. It will be in town during my birthday! We could go on the giant rollercoasters and everything!"

Carol thought about it. Her on a rollercoaster? Did not sound pretty. She'd probably throw up. "Well, we can go to the fair. But going on the rollercoaster, that I'm not so sure about. Unless you want me to blow chunks everywhere." She smirked.

"Ew no! Please don't!" Sophia shuddered.

"Then I probably won't be going on a huge rollercoaster with you." Carol winked and started to eat the rest of her soup.

"Maybe Daryl could come with us?" Carol almost spit out her soup. Sophia _wanted_ Daryl to go with them?

"What? To your birthday? Why?" Carol looked shocked at her daughter.

"I don't know..." Sophia mumbled.

"Sophia Peletier." Carol looked at her daughter. "Tell me why."

"Well Carl said he has a really cool crossbow and I really want to see it and he also has a motorcycle I've always wanted to go on one and maybe he could go on the rollercoasters with me because he's a guy and guys like to do that sort of thing!" Sophia ran out of breath and couldn't continue talking.

"Wow." Sophia had said that so fast Carol barely caught any of it. "Well, the next time I talk to him I'll ask him, if you're sure you want him there."

"Okay!" Sophia smiled. "Can I eat my soup now?"

Carol just laughed. "Yes, you can eat your soup now."

* * *

"Did you call him yet? What did he say?" Sophia asked as she came back from bike riding with Carl. She put her helemt by her shoes and sat on the couch by her mother.

"I haven't called him yet..." Carol shook her head. "I wasn't planning on- Sophia what are you doing?"

"Calling him for you." Sophia had her mothers cell phone and was looking for his number in the contact list. "I want to see that crossbow mom." She pressed the dial button and held the phone up to her mothers ear. "There."

"Sophia!" Carol as starting to freak out a bit. She had never called him before. Typing to him and actually talking to him were two completely different things. And the way Sophia was staring at her wasn't helping. "Hi, Daryl? It's Carol." Sophia was very close to her. She pushed her daughter away from her face, and Sophia just giggled. "Yeah, well, the thing is" She glanced at Sophia, who was staring at her again. "You remember Sophia. She is having a birthday in a few weeks, and wants to go to the fair. She was wondering if you would come with us and ride the rollercoaster with her, since I won't dare do that." She chuckled. "Yeah, I can give you exact date once it gets closer. We're still in the beginning stages of planning."

"Don't forget about the crossbow!" Sophia whispered to her mother.

"Oh, and Daryl?" She looked at Sophia. "Sophia was also wondering about your crossbow? She wants to see it when you come to her little birthday." Sophia put her ear up to the phone, attempting to hear. Carol stood up and walked into the other room. Sophia frowned and then followed her mother. "Great, we'll talk to you later. Bye bye." Carol hung up the phone. "You're lucky kid." She nudged Sophia with a smile. "He agreed to going to your party, and he agreed to showing you the crossbow."

"Yes!" Sophia jumped up and down. "Oh it will be so awesome! I can't wait! Thanks mom!" Sophia threw her arms around her mother. Carol laughed and hugged her daughter.

"Well, it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't forced me to call him. So you made your own wish come true."

"Thanks me!" Sophia threw her arms around herself, a goofy smile on her face. Carol shook her head and laughed. She loved her daughter. "It will be so fun to have a birthday party for once!" Carol's smile faded. Sophia never had a birthday party, or got presents very often. Only when Ed was away, which was hardly ever. She remembered once time, she went out and bought Sophia a bike. She planned on hiding it from Ed at the Grimes house, and then pretending that Lori had given it to her. Unfortunately, he came home before she had the chance to take it there.

_Carol took the bike out of the trunk with some difficulty. She was trying to hurry so she could lock it up in the shed for the night. Lori and Rick were out for their anniversary, so she couldn't bring the bike tonight. She closed the trunk and locked the car. She started making her way up the driveway with the bike, when she heard the sound of tires coming up behind her. 'Please don't be Ed...' She thought. She glanced back. Sure enough, there he was. When he stepped out of the van, he didn't look too happy._

_"What the fuck is this?" He growled at her, grabbing her wrist. Carol dropped the bike on the ground._

_"Well... I got it for Sophia..." Carol whimpered as his grip tightened._

_"You think we're fucking made of money? You don't have a job. No one would hire a worthless piece of shit anyway." She winced as his grip on her wrist tightened once again. "We don't have the money for stupid shit like this. You better take it back right now."_

_"It's her birthday in two days Ed. She deserves something..." Carol whispered._

_"What the fuck did you say to me?" Ed growled._

_"I said... She deserves to have something for her birthday..." She let out a cry when his hand struck her face._

_"I said take it back you worthless bitch!" He smacked her again, only this time, it was a lot harder. She fell to the pavement, her lip bleeding. "Get the fuck up and do as I say!" When she tried to get up, he just hit her down again. She couldn't help the tears from flowing. "Don't you fucking cry!" He shouted. His fist came down hard on her face. She would surely have a black eye tomorrow. "If that thing ain't returned in the next half an hour, your a damn dead woman, you hear me?" With one final kick, he stormed into the house. Carol continued to lie on the pavement, tears flowing down her swollen cheek. The tears stung her raw skin._

_"Mom..." Carol looked up to see Sophia standing there, her teddy bear in her arms. "Are you okay mommy?"_

_"Yes dear..." Carol struggled to stand up. Sophia ran to her side and tried to help her up. She did the best she could, after all, she was only eight. She glanced around. "Listen to me baby. You take this bike. I bought it for you. Take it, and ride it to Carl's house okay. Beth should be looking after him while Rick and Lori are out. Tell her I sent you there. And... I'll pick you up in the morning." Carol brought her daughter close, and kissed her on the forehead._

_"But mommy..."_

_"Shhh, just go. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Just, just don't come back until I go get you." Sophia nodded, and hopped on the bike. She had learned how to bike thanks to Carl. Carol watched as her daughter disappeared down the street. She looked at the house, and then at her car. She could easily run right now. But she knew she couldn't. No matter how much she wanted to, she just couldn't. When she went inside, there would be hell to pay. He would know she didn't take the bike back. He would know. With a deep breath, she opened the door, and stepped inside._

"Mom? Are you okay?" Sophia asked. Carol snapped out of her painful memory.

"Yes, I'm fine Soph. Come on, let's get you to bed now." She put her arm around Sophia and walked up the stairs with her. Sophia crawled into bed, and Carol put the covers over her. "Tomorrow is your last day of school. Excited?"

"Yes! We're having a fun day tomorrow. No work!" Sophia grinned. Carol could tell her daughter was getting sleepy. "It will be so much fun." She started to yawn.

"Well, better get some sleep then." Carol smiled. "Goodnight sweetheart." She kissed her forehead and walked to the door. "Have good dreams."

"Goodnight mom. Love you." She smiled sleepily.

"Love you too baby." Carol shut off the light and closed the door. She looked up at the clock. It was only ten, but she felt exhausted. She figured she should have a shower first. She grabbed a clean pair of pajamas, and headed into the washroom. She turned on the water, getting it to the right temperature before stepping in. The water was warm on her cold skin. She instantly relaxed, all her stress washing away, the bad memory slowly fading to the back of her mind. With a sigh, she washed her hair, and stepped out of the shower. She was greeted with an instant rush of cool air. She quickly covered herself with the towel. Carol glanced down at her arms. The bruises had finally started to fade. Hopefully, they would be cleared up by the time Sophia's little party was. Her little girl's first party. She smiled to herself. Atleast she could give her daughter something, even if she didn't have the money for a present. She put those thoughts aside for now, and dried herself off. She slipped into her cozy pajamas, and placed her clothes and the towel in the hamper. Walking into her room, she collapsed on the soft bed, and almost instantly, she fell asleep, glad that the day was over.

_**A/N: Thank you for reading chapter 3! I'm sorry about the memory, it was sad for me to write, believe me! R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	4. Chapter 4

**A Secret**

**Chapter 4**

_**A/N: OH MY GOSH GUYS! I'M SO SORRY! I really didn't mean to put the story off this long! I've just been really busy with the last week of school and family and other stuff that doesn't need to be shared. I put this off so long. I'm so so so SO sorry! Please don't kill me! I'll update more often! I promise!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Sophia was very excited when she woke up. Tomorrow was her birthday, and she couldn't wait. Her mother had told her that Daryl was coming over today to show her the crossbow, because they wouldn't have time tomorrow. She hoped he would let her shoot it. She raced down the stairs just as Carol set breakfast on the table. "It looks yummy mom!" Sophia smiled as she sat down at the table.

"I hope so." Carol smiled and poured her a glass of milk. "Daryl called. He said he couldn't make it today." Sophia's smile faded.

"What?" Sophia was devestated. She really wanted to see that crossbow.

"I'm kidding." Carol winked. "He should be here around two. So you've got a bit of a wait yet. I have to plant some flowers in the garden, if you want to help me?" Carol sat down across from her daughter.

"Maybe." Sophia shovelled the food into her mouth. Carol shook her head. Sophia ate like a pig, but remained so thin. If Carol did that, she'd gain pounds faster than Sophia would finish her food. "Done." Sophia stood up and ran off upstairs. Carol chuckled before taking to plate over to the sink. A few minutes later Sophia came back into the kichen, out of her pajamas and into her clothes. "Do we have to go shopping for anything?"

"Yes." Carol wiped her hands on the towel. "We have to go to the garden centre and get some tools and some seeds."

"Okay. Lets go then! We can go and get back right away!" Sophia ran towards the door. "Hurry up mom!"

Carol walked over to the door, and Sophia was already sitting in the car, waiting. Carol put her shoes on and locked the door before heading out to the car.

* * *

"Oh that's cute." Carol picked up a little deer. It would make a wonderful decoration in the garden.

"Oh come on mom." Sophia groaned. "I wanted to be out of here as soon as possible!"

"Sophia." Carol warned. "You are the one who wanted to go in the first place." She placed the deer in her cart and walked down the next isle. "Here are the seeds. Pick out a few that you think would look good." Carol stood at the cart while Sophia looked at the seeds.

"One two three four good enough." Sophia grabbed the first four she saw. "Now lets go."

"Sophia Peletier. Do what I asked properly, or I'll call Daryl and tell him not to come." Sophia's eyes widened and she nodded, running off to the pick out some seeds. Carol hated having to be harsh with her daughter, but she was getting to that rebelious age. It was the age Carol wasn't looking forward to, ever.

"Here you go. I picked out this pretty white flower." Sophia handed Carol the package. "I thought it would be a nice flower in the yard."

"Alright. Now we've got everything. Now we can pay." Carol walked towards the register. Sophia scrambled after her, excited to finally leave the store.

* * *

Sophia stared out the window, waiting for Daryl to pull into the driveway. It was two, and he should be here any minute with his crossbow. She was so excited. She didn't even notice her mother walk up to her and stand behind her. It wasn't until Carol spoke that Sophia turned around.

"You know, if you occupy yourself with something else, it will seem like he'll be here faster." Carol crossed her arms, and glanced out the window.

"Mom, why are you wearing your fancy shirt? And why are you wearing make up? You never wear make up." Sophia was quick to observe her mom's new appearance. Carol was never one to wear make up. If Ed ever caught her wearing make up, he'd beat her until she couldn't even stand up.

"I thought I'd change it up a bit?" Carol looked for an excuse.

"Oo, mom has a crush and Daryl Dixon!" Sophia grinned and started running around the room. "Mom and Daryl sitting in a tree!"

"Sophia, stop that!" Carol felt her cheeks grow hot. "I do not have a crush on him. Now... Go do something productive." Sophia giggled and ran off upstairs. Her daughter was too nosy. The worst part is, Sophia was right.

"He's here!" Sophia came barrelling down the stairs. Carol had been so caught up her own thoughts she hadn't even seen him pull up. "Mom go open the door for your crush." Sophia giggled again. Carol glared back at her before walking towards the door. "Go on." Sophia was standing right behind her. "Open it. I want to see that crossbow!"

Carol rolled her eyes and opened the door. Daryl was standing there, looking down at his shoes. He looked so shy right then. "Hello Daryl." She gave him a warm smile.

"Hey." Daryl glanced up. Sophia peeked around from behind Carol. Daryl waved at her. He still wasn't sure how to act around kids. The night of the barbecue, he had a feeling that Sophia hated him. The way she looked at him, made him uncomfortable, so it had surprised him when Carol called and told him Sophia wanted him to go to her birthday party. Though it would just be the three of them, not much of a party.

"You want to come in?" Carol stepped aside. Daryl nodded to her and walked inside. Her house was so much nicer than his. He glanced into the living room, and he could see what looked like a wedding photo. Her husband, from here, he looked like a real jackass. He wouldn't say anything though, if he did, Carol would be so mad at him, and probably kick him out and never speak to him again. He did not want that. He liked her, she was about the only woman he liked. Lori he could tolerate, but he didn't really like her. "Can I get you a drink?" Carol's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Oh, uh, sure." He stayed at the door. Was he supposed to follow her? He didn't know, so he stayed there. Sophia followed her mother, and he was thankful. He wouldn't know how to act around Sophia without Carol around. Carol came back with a glass of what looked like iced tea. He took it from her and said a small thank you. He took a sip and glanced at Sophia, who was staring up at him expectantly.

"You brought the crossbow right." Sophia continued to stare at him.

"Uh, yeah. I put it in the truck. Didn't wanna carry it in." Daryl took another sip from his iced tea.

"So are you going to show me it now?" Sophia questioned him.

"Sophia." Carol looked down at her. "Don't be rude."

"Sorry..." Sophia mumbled.

"If ya wanna I can show ya." Daryl looked around for a place to put his now empty glass. The only table he saw was in the living room. He looked up at Carol as she took the glass from his hands.

"You go with Daryl, I'll be out in a minute." Carol smiled and walked into the kitchen. Daryl started to panic a bit. He didn't know how to handle this kid by himself. And the fact that she was staring at him wasn't helping. He opened the door and walked to his truck. Fresh air was good. He reached into the back of his truck and pulled out his crossbow. He'd killed a lot of animals with it. He'd also threatened a lot of jackasses with it too.

"Woah!" Sophia beamed as she saw the crossbow. "That is so cool! Can I hold it?" Sophia stared up at him with hopeful eyes. He never let anybody touch his crossbow, but those eyes, he just couldn't say no to them.

"Be careful with it, it's kinda heavy." He carefully handed her the crossbow. He showed her how to hold it properly.

"This is awesome." Sophia grinned as she held the crossbow. "Can you show me how to shoot it Daryl? It would be the best present ever!" Again, the hopeful eyes he couldn't say no to.

"Ya got somethin' to use as a target?" He asked, taking the crossbow from her.

"I'll go ask mom." Sophia ran towards the front door. Carol stepped out, and Sophia crashed into her. "There you are mom!" Sophia took a step back. "Do we have anything to use as a target? Like some old wood or something?"

"You can check the shed in the backyard." Carol handed her the little key. Sophia ran off towards the back. Carol smiled and walked over to Daryl. "She seems quite taken with the crossbow huh?"

"Yeah, most girls are afraid of it. Not her, she don't seem scared of shit."

"She isn't." Carol looked down at the ground. "Except for one thing..."

Daryl studied her face, and he didn't like the look she had. It pained him to see. It was the same look he had all through his childhood. "What is she afraid of..." He almost didn't want to know.

Carol sighed. "It's nothing." She didn't need to bore him with all that happened. She also didn't need him thinking she was weak. She already thought that, she didn't need anyone else thinking it too.

"I found some!" The both of them looked up as they heard Sophia screaming from the backyard.

"Well, I guess we're going to make some targets." Carol smiled and started walking to the backyard. She stopped and looked back to see if Daryl was following her. "Are you coming?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Daryl looked down at his shoes as he followed her.

* * *

"Ugh! I'll never get it right!" Sophia sighed in frustration. She was missing the mark by so far. She had been trying for an hour now, and she felt like chucking the crossbow on the ground and stomping off.

"It takes practise. Took me a long ass time to get it right." Daryl understood her frustration. He too had gone through the same thing when he first learned. "Here, try holdin' it like this. Take your time when shootin' it." Daryl showed her how to hold it, and stood back. He had to admire the determination that was in her expression. He couldn't help but smile as she hit a bullseye. "See? What did I tell ya?"

"Oh my gosh!" Sophia squealed and turned to look at her mom. "Did you see that mom! Did you see me?" She grinned.

"Yes honey! Good job!" Carol smiled. She was proud of her daughter.

"Thank you Daryl!" Sophia wrapped her arms around him. Daryl froze at the sudden contact, not really sure what to do.

"No problem." He said, hoping she would stop hugging him soon. He almost sighed in relief when she let go and ran off to her mother. He didn't know what they were saying, but Sophia looked very proud of herself. He grabbed her crossbow and put it in the back of his truck. He figured he was going to leave when Sophia ran up to him again.

"Aren't you going to stay for dinner with us?" She asked as Carol walked up beside her.

"I didn't think I was..." Daryl shrugged.

"Oh come on, it's the least I can do. You taught Sophia how to use that crossbow all afternoon." Carol smiled. Sophia nodded and ran off into the house. "So what do you say? In exchange for making my daughters year I give you dinner."

"Well, if you're offerin'." He gave her a small smile.

"Great!" Carol smiled back at him and motioned for him to follow her into the house. He slowly followed her, locking his truck before entering the house.

_**A/N: I'm still so sorry. R&R lovelies.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	5. Chapter 5

**A Secret**

**Chapter 5**

_**A/N: I'm still in serious depression after yesterdays ending of Here We Go Again. I need to get out of the depression, and write something happy! No more death for a while, thats for sure. Enjoy!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

"Happy birthday Sophia." Carol smiled as her daughter walked into the kitchen. "I made your favorite, chocolate chip pancakes." She placed the plate on the table. Sophia grinned and sat down. "So, how does it feel to be twelve years old?" Carol asked, leaned against the counter.

"Not that different." Sophia admitted. "So when is Daryl coming over? I want to ride the rollercoaster as soon as possible." Sophia had her mind set on riding that rollercoaster. She wasn't sure if it would be scary, which is why she wanted to go with someone. Since her mother wouldn't go with her, Daryl was the next best choice.

"Well, I said I'd call him when we would be leaving. He said he'd meet us there." Carol shrugged. "And I don't see what the big deal is about a rollercoaster. When I was your age it was the games I was interested in."

"Well I've never been to a fair before." That made Carol's smile disappear. She wanted to take Sophia to the fair so many times, but Ed wouldn't let her. He wouldn't let her do anything with Sophia. If she asked to do anything, she'd get punished. He'd let her know that what she wanted wasn't the right thing to do, atleast not in his house. Everything she did was wrong. Thats why while he was in jail, she had to get everything out of her system, so when he returned, she'd be the weak little housewife she was meant to be. "Mom? Did you hear me?" Carol looked up at her daughter.

"Oh, sorry, no I didn't. What were you saying?" Carol shoved all those thoughts to the back of her mind, where they belonged.

"I was saying after I go on the rollercoaster we could play a game there. You could show me why they are so fun. Maybe you could win me something!" Sophia grinned. "Maybe you could win me something at every game!"

"Now lets not get greedy Sophia." Carol smiled, taking her plate. "Now go have a shower, and then we'll get going okay?" She placed the plate in the sink, and soaked it.

"Okay!" Sophia grinned and ran up the stairs.

* * *

"Oh my gosh there it is! Look at it mom!" Sophia clapped excitedly as they got closer and closer to the fair. Carol chuckled and pulled into an empty parking spot.

"Looks pretty busy here." Carol opened the door. "And it's hot out. Good thing I wore my tank top." She smiled. "Better put some sunscreen on Soph, you wouldn't want to get burned on your birthday."

"Okay." Sophia reached into the car and grabbed the sunscreen. She handed it over to her mom. "You don't want to get burned either." She smiled. She waited for her mother to put on the sunscreen.

"Alright, we're all set." Carol locked the car.

"We can't go yet!" Sophia shouted, running infront of her mother.

"I thought you were all excited and in a hurry to go?" Carol questioned.

"We have to wait for Daryl." Sophia crossed her arms. "I can't go on that rollercoaster until he gets here."

"Well, he should be here shortly." Carol checked her watch. She leaned against the car, and watched the roads for his truck. Sure enough, she saw his truck in the distance. "I told you he'd be here soon." She said as he pulled into the parking lot. Surprisingly, there was a free spot next to their car. He parked his truck right beside theirs. "Well hello there." Carol smiled as he got out of his truck.

"Hi Daryl! Ready to go on the rollercoaster?" Sophia smiled up at him.

"Oh, uh, sure." Daryl had never been on a rollercoaster before. But how bad could it be?

* * *

"I ain't ever goin' on that again." Daryl felt like throwing up. That was the worst thing he'd ever experienced. It went upside down and twisted and turned all at once. How was he even alive after that? And Sophia was perfectly fine with it, infact, she was screaming with joy everytime it went upside down.

"Oh you baby." Sophia joked. "Well I'm going on it again!" She ran off to stand in line again.

"Not as easy as you thought it would be, huh?" Carol looked up at him as he made his way over to her. She was sitting on the bench waiting for them.

"Not in the slightest." Daryl muttered, sitting beside her. "I swear, that thing was gonna kill me."

Carol laughed. "Yeah, thats what I thought when I was sixteen and went on a rollercoaster. Never again." She smiled. "Sophia seems to like it though. Hope she doesn't ride it all day, I'd like to go play some of the games."

"Oh man, those games are the shit." Daryl smirked. He remember way back when he was young, his mother took him to the fair just to play the games. He never went on the rides, he only played the games. "Been a while since I played 'em though."

"Same here." Carol sighed. "I've always wanted to win a prize. Sophia said I was supposed to win her a prize today." She chuckled. "Maybe I could, if she'd get off that rollercoaster."

"I ain't never won a prize in my life. I'm up to the challenge." He gave her a small smile. "She can ride the damn thing all she wants, we could go play the games. First one to win a prize buys the other person lunch."

"You're on Dixon." Carol smirked. "I'm going to go tell Sophia we'll be by the games." This would be fun. Hopefully, she'd win and get a prize before him. Then she could have the pleasure of telling him he got beat by a girl. That would be quite fun. "Sophia, me and Daryl are going over to the games section. When you're done with the rides, come find us alright?"

"Alright." Sophia watched her mom walk off. Why was she going to the games with Daryl? She shrugged, it didn't matter now, it was her turn to go on the rollercoaster.

* * *

"Okay, what game first?" Carol asked, looking at the different game booths.

"'Bout the ring toss game? Looks easy enough." Daryl shrugged. Carol nodded and they both walked over to the booth. It cost them both five bucks. "You're goin' down." He whispered, and grabbed a couple rings.

"You say that now." She smirked back at him. "Just wait."

"The fuck you mean?" He asked. She pointed at the bottles. All of the sudden, they started moving. How the fuck was he supposed to aim when they kept moving around like that? "Ah shit." He growled. He threw one of the rings, he missed by far.

Carol laughed, and threw a ring as well. She too, missed. In the end, both of them lost. "Well, how about another game?"

"I ain't givin' up 'till one of us wins." Daryl looked at the other booths. He spotted one he should do well at. "Over there. Target game." He was always a good shot, no way he'd lose this one.

"Okay, fine." Carol smiled. This would be good. They paid the guy and then picked up the fake rifles. "You ready?"

"Hell yeah." He smirked. The man turned on the game and the targets started moving from side to side. This one would be much easier. He fired a shot, and hit the target. He was so going to win.

* * *

"How the fuck?" Daryl was shocked. Carol had beat him. "How did ya beat me woman?"

"I guess I just have the skill." She smiled, carrying the little stuffed penguin. She'd give it to Sophia later. "Now, about my lunch?"

"Hell no, I want a rematch." Daryl protested.

"That wasn't the deal Dixon." Carol smirked. "You still have to buy me lunch, but I'll play another game with you. Just so you can experience the losing feeling all over again."

"Fuck that." Daryl growled. "Say, ya think you're strong?"

"Why?" Carol asked.

"Cause, that test your strength game over there. Bet I can get a bigger prize than you with that." He said, and started walking over to it.

"Well of course, you're a man. Men are normally stronger than females." She rolled her eyes, but followed him anyway. He picked up the hammer and looked over at her. "Go ahead." She said. She couldn't help but glance at his arms. She never realized how muscular they were. She focussed her attention back on the game. He slammed down the hammer, and it went all the way to the top. "Wow..." She was impressed.

"Congratulations sir, here is your prize. Come again!" The man handed Daryl a large stuffed bear. Not a chance in hell he was keeping something like that.

"Good job Daryl." She smiled as he walked over to her.

"Uh, thanks." Daryl awkwardly handed the bear over to her. "You can uh, keep this if ya want."

Carol couldn't help the grin as she took the bear from him. "Thanks." She continued to grin. She didn't like the fact that it made her happier than it should have. "Well, lets go find Sophia." Carol turned around and bumped into the very person she just mentioned. "Oh, Sophia." She said startled.

"Did you win me a prize?" Sophia grinned at her mother. "I really like the penguin."

Carol handed her the penguin. "That was for you anyway."

"Did you win the bear too?" Sophia tilted her head.

"Oh, no, uh, Daryl won it." Carol felt herself blushing.

"Oh, I see." Sophia grinned. She walked around her mother, and made little kissing noises. Carol's mouth dropped open. If Daryl wasn't right there, she would've said something about it.

"Well, I'm hungry." She tried to get her mind off of what just happened. "Daryl, you're buying right?" She smirked.

"Yeah yeah." Daryl grumbled. He walked up to her. "Ya got lucky on that game, I would've beat ya any other day."

"You keep telling yourself that." She whispered before walking away towards the burger stand. Daryl rolled his eyes and followed her.

Sophia watched her mother and Daryl, and shook her head. "They were totally flirting." She ran after them. She figured her mother had a crush on Daryl, though she might not realize it just yet. Sophia could see it clear as day. If she was being honest, she wouldn't mind if her mother went out with Daryl. He was a cool guy, and a hell of a lot better than her father. She knew what her father did, even though her mother tried to hide it from her. She tried to act like everything was okay, that it was normal. But Sophia knew better than that. Her mother went through hell just so he wouldn't lay his hands on his own daughter. Sophia was so grateful for that. If her mother wanted to be with Daryl, she'd fully support that, cause she could just tell, Daryl was nothing like her daddy.

* * *

"That was super fun!" Sophia grinned as they walked out to the parking lot. "Thank you for coming with us Daryl!" She hugged him. This time, Daryl returned the hug, atleast to the best of his ability. He was still mentally freaking out.

"No problem kid, was fun." Daryl gave her a small smile. Sophia returned the smile and then ran off towards the car.

"Well, thanks for going on the rollercoaster with her, even if it made you sick to your stomach." Carol chuckled.

"Yeah, sure." Daryl scoffed. "Never again."

"Understandable." Carol smiled. "And uhm, thanks for the stuffed bear." She couldn't help but blush when she said it. She felt like a highschool girl.

"Oh, uh, yeah no problem." Daryl awkwardly ran a hand through his hair.

Carol smiled at him, and did something she never ever thought she'd do. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "We'll see you again Daryl." And she practically bolted. Why did she do that? She shouldn't have done that. It just happened, she couldn't even control it. She didn't know if she could face him ever again after that. Sophia probably saw. That would be another problem she'd have to deal with.

* * *

Sophia giggled when she saw her mother kiss Daryl. They probably thought it was innocent. That made her giggle more. She would have to make it seem like she never saw it. She didn't want to embarress her mom more than she did today. Carol got in the car, and didn't say a word before she started the car and drove off.

* * *

Daryl stood there as Carol walked away. What the fuck just happened? Oh, thats right, she kissed him. He was already socially awkward, and could barely handle the hug Sophia gave him, how the hell was he supposed to handle this? And why did it make him feel all warm inside? What the fuck was happening to him? Damn that woman, making him feel things he shouldn't be feeling. Finally able to move, he hurried to his truck and hopped inside. How was he going to face her again without thinking about the parking lot? He knew he'd blush. He hated blushing. "You're such a pussy Darylina." He could just hear his brothers voice in his head. Damn that woman. Damn himself too for feeling something. He muttered to himself before speeding away.

_**A/N: Well well, I wonder if Sophia will start playing match maker? Haha. Well, I hope you enjoyed that awkward Caryl moment. R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	6. Chapter 6

**A Secret**

**Chapter 6**

_**A/N: This is going up really late because I'm really lazy and decided to start writing at 3 in the morning. I would've written sooner, but I kind of woke up at 5 in the afternoon and had to be somewhere two hours later. So I had to quickly eat supper and go. Then the interwebs and Melissa McBride distracted me. Anyway, have fun reading!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Carol ran inside when she heard the phone ring. The caller ID said Lori Grimes. Was Sophia ready to be picked up? "Hello?" Carol answered.

"Oh, you're alone." Carol could just tell Lori was smirking.

"Of course I'm alone. Who would be here?" Carol asked, leaning against the table.

"Well, I thought maybe you'd have some, _company_ over, if you know what I mean." What in the world was Lori talking about? Why would she have... Oh.

"Before you even say it, no, Daryl is not here." Lori had been pestering her about Daryl since that barbecue. "I haven't talked to him, or seen him, since Sophia's birthday."

"Seems more like it was a date for you two." If Carol had a drink, this would be where she spit it out all over the place. A date? How in the world would it be a date? "I overheard Sophia talking to Carl. So, Daryl gave you a stuffed animal from the fair, hm?" Lori chuckled. "And then you kissed him."

Carol's face went red. "I... I did not kiss him."

"Your daughter says different." Lori grinned.

"Okay, first of all, you can't consider what I did a real kiss. It is not at all in the way you are thinking. It was just a simple peck on the cheek to show my appreciation-" She was cut off by Lori.

"Appreciation for his hot body? His good looks?" Lori snickered.

"I will not hesitate to hang up this phone." Carol said, unamused.

"Okay, sorry." Lori laughed. "But hey, he's single, if you want it, go and get it. I would not at all blame you." Lori paused. "You have another five months to be free Carol. I suggest you do what you have to. Maybe you'll find you have the strength to leave his sorry ass. I bet you'd be really happy with Daryl." Carol sighed. Lori had to bring that up. "Anyway, I just had to see if it was true. I told the kids I'd take them for ice cream and then drop Sophia off. Talk to you later."

"Bye Lori." Carol hung up the phone. She wanted nothing more than to have the strength to leave Ed. Dating Daryl wouldn't change that, it would just make her unfaithful. She'd be cheating. Even if Ed had cheated on her many times, and she knew he did, she just couldn't bring herself to do the same thing. It was against what she believed in. Even though Daryl was very good looking, she just couldn't. No way. Right? Would it really be cheating if she technically left him? Or was going to leave him? It's not like he cared about her anyway... What was she thinking? Daryl didn't even remotely like her in that way, and here she was figuring she'd go out with him. "Bad Carol..." She whispered to herself, and headed back outside. The flowers needed watering.

* * *

"Mom?" Sophia walked into the living room. Carol glanced over at Sophia before muting the television. "In a few weeks Carl and his mom and dad are going to stay at a fancy hotel. Carl said that his mom said we could go with them. Can we? I've never stayed in a hotel before."

Carol thought about it for a minute. She knew they'd never get the chance to go to a hotel again, since she didn't have a whole lot of money, and Ed would never allow her to leave the house unless it was to get groceries. "I guess we can." Carol smiled at her daughter.

"Awesome!" Sophia grinned. "And I may or may not have invited Daryl and he may or may not be staying in the same room with us anyway gotta go bye!" Sophia said that sentence so fast Carol almost didn't catch what she said.

"Hold it right there Sophia!" Carol called after her. "What do you mean you invited Daryl to stay in the same room as us?" How uncomfortable would that be for her! For him! For the both of them!

"Well... We saw him earlier and I sort of asked him... He said okay. So don't worry about it." Sophia bolted after that. Carol stared after her for a moment. Wonderful. It will be a grand time at the hotel.

* * *

"Get your nice clothes on, we're going to the bar!" Lori smiled at Carol. Carol heard the doorbell, and when she opened the door, thats how she was greeted.

"What do you mean? Why are we going to a bar? And what about Sophia?" Carol crossed her arms.

"I mean we're going to a bar. And we're going because Maggie's sister is performing there, and she wanted us to go. It will be me, Rick, Andrea, Shane, you, Glenn, and Maggie." Carol almost sighed a relief. "And Daryl." Lori smirked. "And as for the kids, we're leaving them with Hershel. Now hurry up."

"Is this just an attempt to get me drunk and force me to sleep with Daryl?" Carol glared at Lori. She figured that wasn't the case, but she might as well make sure.

"No don't be crazy!" Lori shook her head. "Now go get Sophia and go get ready! Rick is waiting in the car!"

* * *

They happened the arrive at the same time as Daryl. Shane's car was already there, and so was Maggies, meaning Andrea and Glenn were also already in the bar. Carol stepped out of the car and stretched her arms. She immediately placed her arms back at her side when she felt the cool breeze on her stomach. "Note to self, don't stretch in this shirt." She said quietly to herself.

"Maybe you should stetch in that shirt, a certain someone took notice of it." Carol nearly had a heart attack. Lori had been standing behind her the entire time.

"Lori!" Carol turned around and glared at her. "What the hell?" She rarely ever used language like that.

"All I'm saying is he never failed to notice you. The way he tried to cover up the fact he noticed you was quite amusing." Lori giggled. "Anyway, enough about that. Let's get inside before the show starts." Carol just nodded, and followed Lori. She glanced at Daryl, who was looking in every direction but hers. She tried to stop the smile that spread across her face. She entered the bar, and followed Lori to the table. Rick had gone up to the counter to get them a drink. She wouldn't be having any drinks tonight. She pondered on where to sit. The booth was bigger than the other ones, and was round. Maggie and Glenn were at one end. Then it was Shane beside Glenn, and Andrea beside him. Lori was next to Andrea. Carol figured Rick would want to sit beside Lori. That left her to sit beside Rick, and the only person left was Daryl. He'd sit beside her.

"Are you going to sit down Carol?" Maggie asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Oh, I'm waiting for Daryl." No. Why did she just say that? That was not what she told her brain to say. It just slipped out. The grin on Lori's face made her feel even more embarressed.

"Oh, alright. I didn't know you and Daryl were together."

"Yeah Carol, I didn't know that either." Lori's grin spread more when she spoke. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Lori." Carol glared. "Maggie, we're not together."

"I've got drinks!" Carol was glad Rick came when he did. The drinks distracted them from the topic, and that made her happy. Rick slid into the booth and sat beside his wife. Carol looked toward the door as Daryl walked in. She decided now would be a good time to sit down. She moved over a bit once Daryl arrived at the table. He had two beers. She thought they were both for him, but she was wrong. He placed one infront of her and then sat down. She told herself she wasn't going to drink tonight. But she didn't want to be rude, he was nice enough to get her a drink. Then she started to wonder, why did he get just her a drink?

"Saw everyone else had a drink, thought ya might want one." It was almost as if he was reading her mind.

"Oh, well thanks." She gave him a small smile, and took a sip. She hadn't had a beer since she was eighteen. Ed never allowed her to drink, yet he could get wasted whenever he wanted to. She never understood why he could do everything and she could do nothing. She wished she could stop thinking about all the things Ed did to her, but she just couldn't.

"So Carol, Sophia told you about the hotel, right?" Lori asked.

"Oh, yes she did." Carol smiled. "When exactly is it?"

"Well we had to move it to July 10th. That's when Rick is off." Lori moved her hair back. "You're not doing anything right?"

"Nope, we're free." Carol nodded. "Sophia is pretty excited." She remember the look on Sophia's face when she told her about the hotel. Then she remembered something else. Sophia asked Daryl to tag along.

"Got that right." Daryl said quietly. No one else had paid attention to what Daryl said, as they were busy having their own conversations, but Carol heard him.

"She told me she asked you. You know, if you don't want to go with us, you don't have to. I know Sophia sort of forces things on people." Carol didn't want him to feel like he had to just because of Sophia.

"Nah, it's fine. Don't got nothin' better to do." Daryl shrugged.

"Okay guys, Beth is about to come on." Maggie smiled. She was so proud of her little sister. Everyone turned to look at the stage. Carol had never met Maggie's sister. A blonde girl walked out on stage. Carol noticed she was quite young. Probably no older than eighteen. She was quite pretty, but she looked quiet. She did a mic check, and then the band started playing. Beth started to sing, and Carol was amazed. She had a wonderful voice. Carol could tell, she would be very successful. She didn't do very many songs, because there were other bands that had to go on. After her last song was done, everyone cheered. Maggie whistled, and then waved her little sister over. "You did great Beth!" She smiled and hugged her sister.

"Thanks." Beth smiled shyly. "Well I have to go help put everything back in the bands van."

"Alright, come back to the table when you're finished." Maggie waved to her sister and sat back down. "I told you guys she was great."

"She really was." Andrea smiled.

"Yeah Maggie, you gotta be proud of your sister, she's pretty damn talented." Shane nodded, and put his arm around Andrea.

"I am proud of her." Maggie smiled.

"How old is Beth?" Carol asked.

"She's eighteen." Maggie replied. "I know she's not old enough to be in a bar yet, but she wouldn't be drinking. Cause if she does I'm going to kill her." Maggie chuckled.

Once again, everyone started their own conversation. Carol sat there silently, playing with the empty beer bottle. She didn't really have anything to add to the conversation. She didn't really know Maggie or Glenn, she'd only met them at Lori's wedding and a few times after that. She knew Andrea, but she didn't talk to her much, mainly because of Shane. She never really liked Shane. She saw the way he looked at Lori. She couldn't bring it up to anyone, because that would just cause a lot of drama that no one needed, so she kept her mouth shut. He was Rick's best friend after all. "I'm gonna get another beer." Daryl stated, looking at her. "Ya want another one?"

"Well... I didn't bring any money." Carol didn't want him to pay for another drink.

"S'fine. Don't worry 'bout it." Daryl stood up and walked over to the counter. A few minutes later, he returned with two more beers.

"Thanks." Carol took the beer from him. She pretty much threw the no drinking out the window. Hopefully she wouldn't have more than this, because it had been so long since she had alcohol, and she was already feeling the effects of the alcohol. She took a sip from the bottle, and had to admit, the taste was growing on her.

* * *

"Ya want me to take ya home or somethin'?" Daryl asked. Carol was looking a little wasted. And by a little, he meant a lot. She only had four beers, no one gets that wasted in four beers. Hell, he had five, and he was fine.

"Psh, no." Carol hit his shoulder. "I'm perfectly fine." Yeah right.

"Ya sure?" Daryl thought he might have to drag her drunk ass home. He would if he had to, because there was no way he'd let her stay here any longer. He had to admit, she was quite funny when she was drunk. Literally everything made her laugh. He ran his hand through his hair, and she nearly cried.

"I told you Daryl, I'm fine. I don't need to be taken home." He sighed, and there she started with the laughing again.

"Alright, I'm takin' ya home regardless of what ya say." He stood up and took her arm. "Guys, I'm gonna take her home. See ya later."

"Good idea Daryl." Lori nodded. She hadn't seen Carol drunk in a very long time. Obviously she couldn't handle her alcohol. "We'll see you again." She waved. Daryl nodded, and dragged Carol out of the building.

"You didn't have to do that. I could've walked myself." Carol moved away from him, and tried walking. She nearly fell.

"Jesus woman." Daryl caught her. "Ya sure get drunk fast." He grabbed her arm and put it around his shoulders. "Hell, ya can't even walk without leanin' on me."

"So not true." Carol glared up at him. Daryl just rolled his eyes, and walked her to his truck. He opened the door for her. She climbed in, with trouble, but managed to get buckled in. He shook his head, and walked around to the drivers side. "So, you're taking me back to my place you said?" She looked at him.

"Yeah, thats what I said." Daryl started the truck.

"You're not just saying that but really you're going to take me back to your place?" Daryl turned his head. What the fuck? Why on gods green earth would she say something like that? Of course he wasn't going to take her back to his place. They were just friends. Not friends with benefits.

"Hell no I ain't takin' ya back to my place." Daryl growled, and drove out of the parking lot.

"Shame." She said. Daryl looked at her again, but she had passed out right after she spoke. He was mentally freaking out. Why the hell would she say it was a shame he wasn't? He was confused right now. He knew she was drunk as fuck, but still, why say something like that? It's not like she liked him, right? They were just friends, nothing else. And even if they were something more than that, he wouldn't take her back to his place when she was drunk. He wouldn't take advantage of her like that. He was about to pull into her driveway when she nearly jumped out of her seat. "Sophia! We have to get Sophia!"

"Jesus woman! Calm the fuck down!" Daryl nearly had a heart attack at her sudden outburst.

"Well we have to get Sophia. She's at Hershel's right now."

"Well fuck, why didn't ya say that sooner?" Daryl sighed. "Look, ya need some water before ya go anywhere." He got out of the truck and walked over to her side. "Now get out, and we'll get ya some water." This time, she obeyed and got out of the truck. He helped her over to the door. She couldn't open the door, so he took the keys from her and unlocked the door. They walked inside, and he immediately went to the kitchen. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and handed it to her. "Drink, now." He ordered. She took off the cap and downed the entire bottle. She already seemed less drunk than before. Maybe it was just overwhelming all the alcohol she had at once. "How ya feelin'?"

"My head hurts." Carol sighed. "Now let's go get Sophia."

* * *

"Mom got drunk?" Sophia asked, looking at Daryl. She had to go in through the drivers side because Carol had passed out again.

"Kinda..." Daryl said, glancing at Carol. "Guess she couldn't handle her drinks."

"I didn't even know mom drank at all! This is a shocker!" Sophia looked at her mom. Daryl didn't like the wicked grin that formed on Sophia's face. "Daryl, do you have a pen? Or better yet, a marker?"

"Uhm... Why?" Daryl asked.

"No reason. But do you?"

"Might be one in the glove box." Daryl said. Sophia opened it and smiled when she saw one. He saw her mouth the word perfect. "What are ya doin'?" He asked, keeping his eyes on the road now.

"Nothing." Sophia giggled, and took off the cap. She reached over and drew a mustache on Carol. She burst out laughing, and Carol started to stir. She quickly put the marker back and tried to look as innocent as possible.

"What?" Carol said tiredly, and sat up straight. Sophia put both hands over her mouth, trying to stop herself from laughing. "What are you laughing at?" Carol asked. Daryl looked over at stopped the truck. He started laughing, and then Sophia couldn't hold it in anymore. Both of them were laughing very hard, Sophia was even tearing up. "What is so funny?" Carol glared at the both of them. It only caused them to laugh more. Carol sighed in frustration and pulled down the mirror. She was horrified. "Sophia!" While she was passed out, Sophia must have drawn a mustache on her.

"Okay, okay." Daryl tried to calm himself down. He took one look at Carol, and started laughing again. At this rate, they would never make it back to Carol's house.

"I will kill the both of you, and I'll make it look like an accident!" Carol crossed her arms. It wouldn't have been as bad if Daryl wasn't there. She was very embarressed right now. The fact that he couldn't stop laughing made it worse. "I hate you both." Carol muttered, and turned away from them.

* * *

"You end up getting that mustache off your face?" Carol read the text from Daryl.

"Yes. Now shut up." Carol replied. A few minutes later, another text message popped up.

"Last night, you said something to me 'bout taking you back to my place. I told you no, and then you said 'Shame'. What did you mean by that?" It took Daryl a lot of courage to ask her that. As Carol read the text, she started to freak out. She said that? She must've been really drunk if she said something that extreme.

"I don't know why I said something like that. I didn't mean it at all. I did not want you to take me back to your place. I was completely drunk. I did not at all want to go back to your place and have sex. And I never would say that." She was rambling on now. She couldn't believe she said that. Why, just why. Why would she even think that? They were only friends, they weren't anything else. They would never be anything else. No matter what Lori said, they would never be anything more than friends. Ever.

"Alright, I thought it was the alcohol talking." He sent back. She sighed in relief, and she was glad he didn't take her back to his place. That would have been such a disaster. She'd never be able to live with herself if that happened. She put her cell phone on the table and leaned back against the couch. She should've just refused the beer he offered her. None of this would've happened. Now she would be so embarressed whenever she went near him. Things would be so awkward now, and it was her fault. How would she be able to sleep in the same room with him without thinking about that?

"Damn it." She sighed, and stood up. She had to make lunch, or else Sophia would have a fit. Speaking of Sophia, she still had to punish her for drawing that mustache on her face. She figured the usual grounding for a week would do just fine, seeing as Sophia was always busy during the summer time. That's what she'd do, ground her. "Thats what you get for embarressing me Sophia." She said to herself, and walked towards the kitchen.

_**A/N: Drunk Carol. I like that. Lol. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this. R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	7. Chapter 7

**A Secret**

**Chapter 7**

_**A/N: I'm at a loss of what to do, these filler chapters are hard to do. I don't want to rush anything between them, you know? So yeah. I'm trying to make it slow and awkward like it has been in the show (Which makes me depressed lol). Anyway, try to stay with me on this while I fill in. Thanks everyone!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

"Mom! Mom! It's today! Today!" Sophia jumped on Carol's bed. Carol groaned and covered her head with the pillow. She did not want to get up this early, but Lori told her yesterday they would have to get up early to check in. "Mom get up!" Sophia started to shake Carol.

"Ugh, can't I have like five minutes?" Carol mumbled, the pillow still over her head.

"No, get up now! We gotta pack and stuff! Daryl is going to be here in half an hour!" Sophia continued to jump on the bed.

"Daryl is going to be here?" Carol shot up. "I can't let him see me like this, god I have to fix my hair it probably look like a mess and-"

"Mom." Sophia shook her head. "Just let it go. You'll have plently of time to flirt at the hotel when I'm swimming in the pool. Did you know it's open 24/7?" Sophia smiled. "We could go swimming at three in the morning and no one would care!"

"That's wonderful sweety." Carol got out of bed and looked in the small mirrow she had on the wall. "I look like crap." She sighed, and walked over to the bathroom. "Sophia, you start packing while I have a quick shower and get dressed." Sophia nodded and ran off into her room. Carol closed the bathroom door and leaned against it. She couldn't believe how fast that month had flown by. Now she only had four months before Ed was back. Back to terrorize her and beat her. She needed something, anything, to give her the courage to leave him. She glanced at her watch. Daryl would be there in twenty minutes. She better hurry and get ready.

* * *

"You have everything Sophia?" Carol asked her daughter as they made their way down the stairs. "Don't want to forget anything you know."

"I've got all I need Mom." Sophia slipped on her shoes and opened the door. "Now lets go, Daryl is waiting for us." Carol quickly put on her shoes and followed her daughter outside. "You want me to sit by the door so you can sit by Daryl?" Sophia giggled.

"No, that's fine. You can sit between us." Carol nudged her daughter before taking both their bags and throwing them the back of his truck. She got in the truck and buckled herself in. "Well, are we all ready?" She asked.

"Ready as I gotta be." Daryl backed out of the driveway. "So they're payin' for the whole thing, right? Cause I didn't bring any money, and that hotel is fuckin' expensive."

"They are paying for it all, thank goodness. I certainly can't afford it." Carol glanced at Sophia, who was leaning against the seat. She was unusally quiet right now. What was going through her mind right now? Maybe it was best she didn't know.

"Hey Daryl, did you know the pool is open 24/7? You, me and Mom should go swimming at midnight tonight! There will probably be nobody there!" Sophia smiled at him.

"Midnight?" Daryl glanced at her, then turned his attention back to the road. "Ain't that like, past your bedtime or somethin'?"

"Yes, it is." Carol stared at Sophia.

"But Mom! I'm twelve now, and it's summer! I don't need a bedtime!" Sophia crossed her arms.

"Yes you do need one, Sophia. If you don't, you'll start staying up late and then sleeping in, and soon your days will get mixed up and you'll never be able to turn yourself around for when school starts." Carol explained. "So for you, you still have a bedtime."

"But why can't we just this once Mom? It would be fun! Pretty please!" Sophia pulled the famous puppy dog face that she had. Carol was never able to turn down that face, and once again, she couldn't tell her no.

"Fine, just this once." Carol sighed. She got that puppy dog face from her. She used to be able to make her parents to anything, but she never used it very often. Only when she really wanted something. "But after this, no more. Okay?"

"Okay." Sophia nodded. Works every time.

* * *

"Hey, there you guys are!" Lori smiled as the three of them walking into the lobby. "Rick's just getting our room keys. So just sit tight for a bit, then we can get settled."

"Hey Sophia." Carl smiled. "You have got to see the pool. The waterslide is huge! Come on!" Sophia grinned and ran after Carl.

"Well, atleast we know the kids are excited." Lori chuckled.

"Alright, I got the room keys." Rick walked up. "Where did Carl and Sophia run off to?"

"Oh, he wanted to show her the pool." Lori responded, and took one of the room keys from Rick. She handed it to Carol. "I guess we better go get settled. Your room is right next to ours, I'll go get Carl and Sophia, you two go to the room."

Carol nodded, and picked up her bag. She had both her bag and Sophia's. She was struggling a but to carry them both. "Ya want me to take one?" Daryl asked, noticing her struggles. She of course refused. Daryl rolled his eyes. "Here, give it." He said, taking one of the bags from her. "Or else we'll never get to the room."

"Oh whatever." Carol stuck her tongue at him. He returned her childish action, and then they both headed for the elevator. They were on the third floor, room 305. She handed to key to Daryl, and he opened the door. It was a nice room, and had two queen size beds. It had a flat screen television. The bathroom was pretty big, with a bath and shower. There was also a small balcony. "Well this is nice." She said, setting her bag on the bed. "Which bed do you want?"

"I'll take the one by the balcony door." Daryl said, walking over to the bed.

"Alright." Carol nodded. She turned around when the door opened.

"Woah! This is, woah!" Sophia was amazed at the room. "This is so awesome!" She grinned, and ran over to the bed. She flopped onto the bed. "Oh my gosh it's so comfy!" Carol chuckled. Sophia was just like a kid in a candy shop. "Mom we have to go swimming! Like, soon!"

"I thought you wanted to swim at midnight?" Carol questioned, sitting down on the bed.

"Well, I do. But Carl wants to swim now." Sophia sat up on the bed.

"Well, I don't feel like swimming like right now, but you go on ahead. I'll go with you but I'm not swimming." Carol opened Sophia's bag. "Here's your bathing suit." She handed it to Sophia. "Go get changed in the bathroom."

"Okay." Sophia jumped up and took off towards the bathroom.

"So you're just gonna sit there and watch her swim? How fun is that?" Daryl asked, sitting down beside her.

"I'm alright with it. I can always go to the bar." Carol smirked.

"I ain't lettin' you go to the bar anytime soon." Daryl shook his head.

"You aren't the boss of me, Daryl Dixon. I can do what I want." Carol chuckled.

"Sure, ya can do what ya want, 'cept that." He smirked slightly.

"Yep, they're flirting again." Sophia said to herself as she walked out of the bathroom. "Well lets go guys! The pool is calling my name!" Sophia said loudly. She felt like saying 'You guys can flirt all you want at the pool, but not now.' But she knew she'd get in trouble if she did, so she didn't say anything.

"No need to yell Sophia." Carol stood up and grabbed one of the books she packed. "You coming or staying here?" She asked Daryl.

"Well not much to do in here." Daryl stood up. "Might as well go with ya."

"Alright. Let's go." Sophia opened the door and ran down the hallway towards the elevator. "You guys are so slow hurry up!" She said dramatically.

"She sure doesn't hold back does she?" Daryl said quietly as they walked down the hallway.

"Not really. Atleast when Ed wasn't around..." Carol remembered, Daryl didn't know that Ed was a total asshole. He didn't know he beat her every night when he came home. If he knew that, he'd probably pity her, or think she was weak. She didn't want that.

"Ed? That your husband?" Daryl asked.

"I guess so..." Carol sighed. "What is marriage, but a piece of paper." She whispered, looking down at the ground.

"Well, guess it's two people that love each other. I don't know, I ain't never been married." Daryl shrugged. He wondered why she said that. She was married, so she must love the man right? It only made sense that she would. Why else would she be married?

"Right." Carol scoffed. "Love." She didn't love him. There was a time, when she thought she did. But not anymore.

Daryl didn't say anything after that. He didn't want to push the subject. Something was obviously wrong in that marriage, but it wasn't his buisness. It was best he not get involved in it. "Oh my god finally. What are you guys snails?" Sophia groaned and pressed the button to open the elevator. "Now lets not walk like we have all day and lets go!"

* * *

"I'm gonna go get somethin' from the drink machine, ya want anythin'?" Daryl asked.

"Maybe a water." Carol smiled, looking up from her book.

"Alright." Daryl nodded and walked off. Carol returned to her book, but was quickly interrupted.

"So, are you and Daryl sleeping in the same bed?" Lori grinned down at her.

"Come on Lori, when are you going to give it up? We're not ever going to be together. It just can't happen. When will you understand that?" Carol sighed in frustration.

"Carol, let me tell you something." Lori sat down beside her. "It's not that it can't happen, it's that you are too afraid to let it happen. I bet you, if you tried to let him know you like him, it could happen. The only thing stopping it is you." Lori wasn't kidding about this. She was serious.

"I don't know Lori..." Carol closed her book. Reading wasn't going to happen today.

"Just think about it, you deserve to be happy." Lori stood up. "You deserve to be loved." And walked away back to Rick.

"Here." Daryl handed Carol the water. Carol looked up at him and took the water bottle from him. "So how much longer we gonna be here? Gettin' kinda hungry. Snack machine ain't got shit." Daryl sat down in the chair and opened his root beer.

"Well it's around supper time now, shouldn't be too much longer." Carol smiled. What Lori said was on her mind. Could something really happen between them if she gave it the chance?

"Well if they wanna keep swimmin' why don't we go get some food. Go get some from the city and bring it back for 'em. That way they can swim all the hell they want and we can eat." Daryl suggested. "Just ask what everyone one wants and then go."

Carol pondered his suggestion for a moment. She was pretty hungry. "Sure. I'll go ask what everyone wants." She stood up and walked over to Lori and Rick. "Me and Daryl are going to go get some supper for everyone. What do you guys want?"

"Just whatever. I'll eat anything." Rick said.

"I'll have whatever you get Carol." Lori smiled. "Carl, he'd probably want a burger if they have it."

"Alright, and I know what Sophia would want. See you guys later." Carol smiled and walked out into the lobby. Daryl was waiting for her by the doors. "They said get them whatever. Carl wants a burger. Sophia would want chicken strips." Carol stood infront of him. "So you ready to go?"

"Hell yeah I am. Starvin'." He opened the door and held it for her.

"Thanks." Carol smiled.

"No problem." Daryl followed her to his truck. "Where ya wanna go?"

"Doesn't matter." Carol shrugged. "Diner I guess, it's closest."

"Alright, let's go." Daryl backed out of the parking spot, and drove down the street towards the diner.

_**A/N: I hate these filler chapters. But! Don't worry, I'm sure you'll all enjoy the next chapter. Since I know where I want it to go, should be up right after this one! R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	8. Chapter 8

**A Secret**

**Chapter 8**

_**A/N: Let me tell you something, you'll like this chapter. And hate it. It's a love/hate relationship. Enjoy!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

"So let me get this straight, you can go to the bar, but I can't? How fair is that?" Carol crossed her arms as she looked at Daryl. They had just got back from talking with Lori and Rick. Sophia was taking a shower, so it was just her and Daryl.

"Told ya before, I ain't lettin' ya go to the bar." Daryl shook his head.

"Oh come on, I won't go overboard this time. Only one drink, I promise." Carol definately wouldn't be drinking a whole lot, not after last time. She only needed one, that would do.

"I'm just gonna go and get a beer, not stay there. I'll get ya one, but thats it. 'Sides, ain't we goin swimmin' in like, half an hour?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah, it is 11:30 after all." Carol smiled. "Better hurry back or Sophia will start to speak her mind again." She chuckled. Daryl gave her a small smile, and then walked out the door. Carol got up and searched through her bag just as Sophia walked out of the bathroom.

"What are you doing mom? Where is Daryl?" Sophia asked, sitting on the bed. She still loved how soft the bed was.

"I'm looking for my bathing suit." Carol replied. Finally, she found it. "And Daryl just went down to the bar to get us a drink." She held up the bathing suit. She had never worn anything like this, and she was taking a big step. Lori helped her pick it out, of course. It was a red bikini. A little lower cut than she had previously worn. She tried it on in the store before she bought it, and she thought she looked pretty good. Lori told her she looked amazing. "I'm going to go put this on, alright?"

"Okay. Just make sure you put something over that. You don't need to parade around in that." Sophia chuckled. Carol just shook her head and walked into the bathroom to change. Sophia leaned back and stared up at the ceiling. When she was bored, she tried to make pictures out of the shapes on the ceiling.

"I'm back." Daryl walked into the room holding two beers. "Where's Carol?" He asked, setting the bottles on the small table.

"She's changing." Sophia said, not moving from her spot.

"Oh, you're back." Carol walked out of the bathroom. She had a robe on, seeing as Sophia told her to have something over it. "You know these robes are really soft." Carol said, walking over to Daryl. "Thank you." She reached past him and grabbed the bottle. Daryl just nodded, and took a long swig from his bottle.

"Can we go swimming now?" Sophia asked, sitting up to look at them.

"I guess if you want to." Carol nodded, putting her beer in the mini fridge. "You going to finish that, or do you want me to put it in the fridge?" Carol asked, looking at Daryl.

"Put it in the fridge." Daryl handed her the bottle. Carol put it further back, so she'd know which was which. "Just gotta go get into my swim trunks." Daryl grabbed his bag and headed into the washroom. It didn't take him long to change. "Alright, lets go."

Carol took one look at Daryl, and she instantly felt herself blush. She looked down at the ground. Lori was right, he did have a hot body. She quickly walked past him, not glancing up. She felt him grab her arm. "Jesus woman, watch where ya goin'. Almost crashed into the wall." She looked up, and was now even more embarressed.

"Oh..." She said, and walked after Sophia.

* * *

"Wow! It's empty!" Sophia grinned and ran into the water. "Ah it's cold!" She shrieked.

Daryl shook his head went into the water. "Ain't even cold what are you talkin' 'bout?" Daryl had no problem with the water. Sophia stuck her tongue out at him and swam away. "Ya comin' in?" Daryl called out to Carol, who was still standing there with her robe on.

"Oh, uhm, yeah." Carol was scared to take off her robe. What if she wasn't good looking after all and she just looked rediculous. Now was not the time to be self concious. It was time to be brave. She untired her robe and threw it onto the chair.

Daryl's heart stopped when he saw her. And he didn't like that. He didn't like having to feel these types of feelings. He had no idea about these feelings or how to deal with it. "Fuck." He muttered. It was a good thing the water was cool, because now was the time he'd need a cold shower. When Carol turned around to face him he had to look away. Why did he think going swimming with her was a good idea?

"Sorry I took so long." Carol chuckled, and walked up to him. "Ah! This water is cold!"

"What is wrong with you guys? Not even cold." He wished it was cold right about now.

"Mom! Daryl! You need to go down that water slide!" Sophia swam over to them. "Please please please! Please!" She begged her mother. "You have to go on it. I'll never ask anything again if you do!" Yeah right. That was something every kid said, but never stuck to.

"Fine." Carol rolled her eyes, and followed Sophia to the slide.

* * *

Carol relaxed in the hot tub. It was nice to relax after climbing all those stairs to the slide multiple times. Her and Daryl had a little competition about who could go down the slide the fastest. She won. He would't admit it, but she won. She heard splashing in the pool, and she looked over. Daryl and Sophia were having a splash fight. She couldn't help but laugh. She watched them until Sophia gave up. Obviously Daryl won that time. Atleast he could beat someone. She chuckled to herself. The fact that she could so easily beat him was amusing. It was even better how annoyed he got. She was starting to get a little hot, so she got out of the hot tub and towards the pool. She wouldn't dare go in the pool right away, or she'd freeze to death. She sat on the pool deck and dipped her feet into the water. It was very cold. It took a while to get used to the water. She looked around, and saw Sophia going up the stairs of the slide again. How that kid had so much energy, she'd never knew. Atleast she'd sleep after all this. Carol looked around to see where Daryl was. She didn't see him anywhere. Did he got back to the room? Suddenly she felt a hand wrap around her foot, and the next thing she knew, she was in the water. It was freezing. She screamed and gasped her air. Meanwhile, Daryl was laughing his ass off. She glared at him and splashed him. He raised a brow. Challenge accepted. He splashed her back, and soon they were having a splash war much like he and Sophia were having before, only Carol was really good at it. No way he'd let her win this fight. He braved the large amount of water being splashed in his face, and he grabbed her. She immediately froze. It didn't take him long to realize his hands were on her waist, and her hands rested on his shoulders. They both just stood there in the water, no one moving a muscle. She was staring right into his eyes, and he wished he could look away from hers, but he got lost in her clear blue eyes. Neither one of them looked away. Daryl noticed that her face was very close to his. 'Not close enough.' He thought to himself. He shouldn't have had a thought like that, it wasn't right. She was married, she was off limits. Meanwhile, Carol was having a battle of her own. They were only friends, and that's how they should stay. But as she looked in his eyes, she could have sworn she saw a flash of want. Like he actually wanted her. She was probably seeing things. Things that she wanted. She noticed her face was close to his. Maybe she should close the small gap. Lord knew she wanted to. It was now or never. She'd never have the courage again, so she might as well use it while she had it. Slowly, she inched her face closer to his. She was scared, no denying that. How would he react? There was no time to think about it now. She took a deep breath, and finally closed the gap. Just as their lips touched...

"Mom! Mom!" Sophia shouted. Her and Daryl jumped apart. "Mom! I'm tired of swimming, can we go back to the room?" Carol just nodded, all words escaping her mind. She didn't look back at him, and basically ran out of the pool. She threw on her robe and tied it. "Come on Daryl!" Sophia shouted to him. He just walked out of the water towards them. Sophia ran out the door towards the elevator. Carol followed close behind. They waited for the elevator doors to open. When they did, Sophia ran inside. Carol and Daryl both walked in. Sophia pressed the button, and the elevator started moving. The air was filled with a very awkward silence. That had gone terribly wrong. Neither one of them looked at each other. They were both staring down at the floor. Carol wished Sophia had waited just a little longer before yelling at them, because she could have sworn she felt his grip around her waist tighten when her lips touched his. The doors opened, and Sophia ran to their room. Carol had the key. She pulled it out of her pocket and opened the door. Sophia ran into the bathroom to change. Carol instantly went to the mini fridge and grabbed her beer. She really needed a drink. She couldn't stand to be near Daryl right now. She made a total fool of herself back there. She was so embarressed right now. So she walked out onto the balcony. It was a cool night, but the robe kept her warm enough. She leaned against the railing, and looked up at the starry sky. She wished she could focus on something else, but Daryl just wouldn't leave her mind. She shouldn't have done that, it was stupid. She probably just screwed their entire friendship over. She sighed, and took a very large drink from the bottle. She needed more of these to forget the events that happened. "Mom? Why are you out here?" Sophia voice broke into her thoughts. She turned around, and tried her best to smile.

"Just waiting for you to finish changing." She said, finishing off the beer. She might just have to go down to the bar once Sophia fell asleep.

"Oh, well why didn't you wait inside?" Sophia tilted her head. Something was up with her mother. She wondered if it had something to do with Daryl, because in the elevator, the silence was deadly.

"I wanted to come out and enjoy the cool night air." She made a quick excuse.

"Oh. The bathroom is free now by the way. Now I'm going to watch some tv." Sophia ran back into the room. Carol just nodded and walked back into the room. She grabbed her pajamas and walked into the bathroom. She figured she should have a shower first. Maybe that would wash away her memory. Yeah right.

* * *

Carol walked out of the bathroom to see Sophia sprawled out on Daryl's bed, sound asleep. She must've fallen asleep watching television. She didn't see Daryl in the room. She looked out on the balcony, and saw him standing there. She wondered whether she should go out there, or stay in here. Maybe she should tell Daryl that Sophia was sound asleep in his bed. She sure took up the entire space on that bed. And she didn't want to wake Sophia up by moving her. Maybe she would go tell him he could take her bed and she'd sleep on the floor. She nodded to herself, and opened the sliding door. Daryl looked back, and then looked away again. She walked up to him and stood beside him. "Sophia passed out on your bed." She said quietly.

"Yeah, I noticed." He said. He wouldn't look at her. He couldn't look at her after what happened. Even if Sophia hadn't interrupted them, he had no idea what to do. He'd never kissed anyone before, ever. And the fact that she was married made it so much worse, especially because deep down, he knew he wanted it. Wanted her.

"You can take my bed." Carol looked at him. He still wasn't looking at her. She understood why, she screwed up royally. "I'll just sleep on the floor."

"Well that ain't fuckin' fair. Ya know, ya don't gotta play the damn guilt trick. Just take the damn bed." Daryl growled. "Wouldn't be the first time I slept on the damn floor." He looked at her this time, in time to see her flinch at his harsh words. Normally, no one would flinch at just words, unless they were abused, like him. It didn't take long for everything to click in. The conversation earlier about her husband, her wondering what the point of marriage was, her flinch just now. That son of a bitch beat on her.

"I'm sorry..." Carol whispered, and walked back into the room. Fuck. 'Wait a go dumbass' he thought to himself. He kicked the wall before following her.

"Look, just take the bed, okay? It ain't a big deal." He said, calmly this time.

"It isn't fair to you." She said quietly, taking the pillow off the bed.

He walked over to her, took the pillow from her, and put it back on the bed. "I don't want the bed. Not fair to you, havin' to sleep on the floor."

"Well it isn't fair to you either." She still wasn't looking at him. What he was about to do could be taken so many ways, and it could just make the entire situation awkward, but he wanted to make up for scaring her earlier.

"The bed is big enough for the both of us ain't it?" It just sounded like he was asking for it. God he hated emotions and feelings and that crap. "Can always share it, I guess." He waited for Carol to respond, but she didn't say anything. She just nodded, and got into bed. She was probably so pissed off at him right now. Fucking hell. He walked over to the light switch and turned it off before getting into bed. This felt so awkward, sharing a bed with a woman. Her back was turned to him. He just stared up at the ceiling, trying to sort through his thoughts. It was completely silent in the room, except for the sound of sniffles. Shit, did he make her cry? Damn it. He was just so fucking good at this. "Carol?" He whispered, looking over at her. "Ya alright?"

"Fine." Carol whispered. She felt stupid for crying. She wasn't even sure why she was crying. It wasn't because of him though. If anything, it was Ed. She could hear his voice in her head, calling her every name in the book. She was worthless. She was stupid. She was useless. She was unattractive. She was a waste of space. She was nothing.

"Ya don't sound fine..." Daryl propped himself on his elbow, and tried to get a good look at her. It was kind of hard with her back turned to him.

"I'm fine... I was just thinking about someone... Nothing important." She hadn't told him that Ed beat her, so he wouldn't know thats what she was thinking.

He knew, she was either thinking about him, or her husband. He figured out that was probably the case, that he was abusive to her. The way she reacted to his yelling, it was similar to the way he reacted to others yelling. He was abused too, he knew the signs. "Ya wanna talk 'bout it?" He was never good at talking about his feelings, but if she wanted to, he'd atleast listen to her. He wouldn't know what to say probably, but she deserved to get it off her chest. "Is it 'bout me? Didn't mean to yell at ya..." He should atleast apolagize to her. Cause he didn't mean to yell at her like he did, it just sort of came out that way.

Carol finally turned to look at him. "No, it's not you. Just don't worry about it." She gave him a sad smile. "I'll be fine."

"I know a lie when I see one." He said. "I also know abuse when I see it." He didn't mean to say that. Shit. He was thinking that, and it just came out.

Carol was shocked. How did he figure out she was abused? She never showed any signs of it. Then it hit her, when he yelled at her, she flinched. She didn't know he saw that. "It doesn't matter." She said, looking away.

"Who is it?" He knew who it was. He just wanted to make sure he was right. "Who is the son of a bitch?"

Should she tell him the truth? If he figured out this much, he probably knew. "My husband..." She whispered, the tears coming back.

"Why don't you leave his sorry ass then?" Daryl asked. "He ain't good for ya, just leave."

"Everyone tells me that. It's not that easy. If I could, I would, but I don't have the strength to." She sighed. "Can we just drop the subject?"

"Why don't ya report him to the cops then? They'll throw his ass in jail. I bet Rick and Lori know about it. Just report him." Daryl growled. No one who beat women should be alive, that was his thought.

"It's not that easy. Nothing in an abusive relationship is easy." She wiped away her tears. "Now please, can we just stop talking about it. He's in jail for now, maybe I can find the strength later. Right now I just don't want to talk about it." She never liked talking about it. It made her feel weak. Not being able to leave him. She tried once before, when the abuse had started. It didn't go well at all.

_"Where the fuck do you think your going?" Ed stood infront of her._

_"I'm leaving." She glared up at him, a suitcase in her hand. "You don't need me, you've made that pretty clear."_

_"You think you can just fucking leave? I won't allow that. Now you go put that fucking bag upstairs, cause you aren't going no where." He glared right back at her._

_"Fuck you Ed." She never ever used language like that, but he just made her so mad. She pushed past him and headed towards the door. She felt his hand grab her wrist and pull her back. He pinned her against the wall._

_"I told you bitch, you aren't going anywhere." His fist connected with her jaw. She fell to the floor. "Now take that fucking bag upstairs right now or you're going to be sorry." He kicked her hard in the stomach. "Do what I say!" He shouted, kicking her again. She struggled to get up. "Get up bitch!" He smacked her. Finally, she just crawled over to the bag. She picked it up and had to use the wall to get up. "Now get your ass upstairs." She didn't fight him this time. She'd never fight him again. She made her way upstairs. All she could taste was the blood. She looked in the mirror. Her lip was cut, and the side of her face was very red. Never again would she fight him._

"Carol." He said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She had completely zoned out, and ignored him everytime he said her name. She had started crying again, and he didn't know why. This made him so uncomfortable. Maybe she was reliving a memory, and not a good one. He had done that a few times too, but instead of crying, he just got pissed.

Carol finally came back to the present, and looked up at him. He had a look of concern on his face, but he also looked very uncomfortable. "Sorry..." She whispered.

"It's fine. Just go to sleep. Nevermind talkin' 'bout it. Ya don't gotta if ya don't wanna." He took his hand off her shoulder.

"Thanks." She smiled sadly at him. "For trying to help me."

He nodded to her, and then bit his lip. He didn't know how to comfort her, even if he wanted to. So he just laid back, and tried his best to fall asleep. Carol had stopped crying, and he was thankful for that. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep. He sighed, and rolled over onto his side. He closed his eyes, and finally, fell asleep.

_**A/N: Eventful chapter hey? I tried to keep it in character but... Some of it might be a little out of character, I'm sorry for that. Anyway, R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	9. Chapter 9

**A Secret**

**Chapter 9**

_**A/N: I'm becoming really addicted to writing. Just saying.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Daryl could feel the sun on his eyes. He reluctantly opened his eyes, and immediately noticed that Carol was a little too close to him. He felt the heat creeping up his neck when he realized he was holding her. Sometime during the night she must have rolled over, and he must have wrapped his arms around her. How was he going to get out of this one without waking her up? He was too scared to move. He noticed movement across the room, and saw Sophia sitting up in bed, writing on a piece of paper. That probably meant she had seen them like this. God what would she have thought happened while she was asleep? Fuck. This was bad. He hoped Carol woke up soon so he could move. He didn't like this. Well, he did, but he didn't want to admit that. He shouldn't like it, or her for that matter, seeing as she was married. But once he found she was abused by the asshole, he forgot all about the fact that she was married. His mind wandered back to last night at the pool. Why did she do that? She tried to kiss him. Did she actually want to, or was it just a spur of the moment kind of thing? His guess was a spur of the moment. She'd probably never do that again. Which was good. Maybe. Hell he didn't know. He was not good at this at all. He felt movement, and he hoped she was waking up. Instead, she only snuggled closer to him. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck this was not good. Why did he secretly like it? Not good. 'Please wake up.' He thought to himself.

"She's a pretty heavy sleeper." Sophia said, not looking up from the paper. She knew Daryl was awake, she had seen him tense up. "She won't wake up if you move." When she woke up, she saw her mom and Daryl, fast asleep and cuddling each other. She didn't know what happened, and she didn't want to know. What they did was their buisness. For now anyway. She'd question her mom later, when Daryl wasn't around.

'Move you idiot.' He scolded himself. He didn't want to move. He glanced down at Carol, and noticed her shirt was rolled up a bit, revealing her stomach. It was a bad idea to look at her. He shouldn't have been checking her out while she was asleep, it was just wrong. And her daughter was right there. What the fuck was wrong with him. He never felt this way before. No woman ever interested him. His eyes trailed along her body, and he caught a glimpse of her chest. He didn't see anything extreme, but it was enough. Now he had to get up. He needed a cold shower right away before anything else happened. He carefully moved his arms, grabbed his bag, and took off towards the bathroom.

* * *

Carol was sitting on the bed, reading the book she never had the chance to finish. It was a romance novel. She liked reading romance. Sometimes she pictured her life being like the ones in the stories. She knew it could never happen, but still. "Hey mom." Sophia crawled onto the bed and sat beside her. "Mom!" She waved a hand infront of her face. Carol sighed, and closed the book. Why did she even bother.

"Yes?" She asked, placing the book back in her bag.

"Why were you snuggling Daryl this morning?" She chose to be direct. No easier way to say it.

Carol could feel herself blushing. She never knew she was snuggling him this morning. When she woke up he was in the shower. "Why was I what?"

"Why were you snuggling Daryl?" She asked again.

"I don't know what you're talking about... I wasn't..." Her daughter was too curious for her own good.

"You were." Sophia nodded. "I know it didn't just happen in your sleep, because Daryl was awake for ten minutes before he finally moved." Sophia told her. Carol was shocked. He was fully aware of this? And he hadn't moved either? It made her heart flutter thinking about him holding her. If only she had been awake to realize it. "You guys didn't... Do anything right?" Sophia made a face of disgust. Carol's face went even more red.

"No. No we didn't do anything I swear to god." The thought of her and Daryl... She just couldn't even begin to think about that. Well, she could, but she didn't want to. Especially with her daughter sitting right infront of her.

"Good. Because ew." Sophia shook her head. Enough of that conversation. "So when are we going to eat?"

"You'll have to ask Lori." Carol replied. Sophia nodded and ran out of the room to find Lori. Carol looked to the bathroom door when she heard it open. Daryl walked out, and nodded to her. She smiled at him shyly, thinking about what Sophia told her. "Good morning."

"Mornin'." Daryl said quietly, putting his bag by his bed. "Ain't we supposed to be goin' home today or somethin'?" He asked, moving his damp hair back.

"That's what I thought. But maybe not." Carol shrugged. "Sophia just went to ask Lori when we're going to eat."

"Good, cause I'm starvin' right now." Daryl sat down at the end of the bed. He was glad things weren't awkward anymore. They would've been awkward if she had been awake earlier this morning. Really awkward actually, considering he was checking her out.

"Mom! Lori said we're going to eat now!" Sophia poked her head in the room, and then disappeared again.

"Well, I guess we're eating now." Carol smiled and stood up. Daryl stood up as she walked by him. He followed her, quickly catching up to her. They were now walking side by side down the hallway where Lori, Rick, Carl and Sophia were waiting.

"Alright, are we all set?" Rick asked, his arm around his wife.

"Hell yeah." Daryl said, ready to finally eat something. Carol couldn't help but laugh. Everyone walked towards the stairs, and Daryl stopped. He turned to Carol. "I don't wanna take the stairs three floors down."

"Me neither." Carol chuckled. "Shall we be lazy and go in the elevator?"

"Fine with me." Daryl smirked and walked over to the elevator. He was about to walk in when Carol grabbed his arm.

"What happened to ladies first?" She asked, raising a brow.

"Fuck that." He said. They stared at each other for a moment, and the both fought their way into the elevator. "Get out of my way woman!"

"No!" Carol struggled to get into the elevator. He glared at her, and she glared right back. Then they both started laughing. "Okay, go ahead."

"Nah, just go." Daryl waited for her to go in the elevator.

"No, I said go, now go." She pointed to the elevator.

"Just get in the damn elevator." Daryl glared at her. Carol tried to keep her glare, but she couldn't. She broke out into a smile.

"Fine, you win." She chuckled, and walked into the elevator.

"Took ya long enough." He said, and walked in after her. Daryl pressed the button, and the elevator started moving. "Better have what I want at that restaurant, cause if they don't I'll-" Both of them looked at each other as the elevator stopped. "You've got to be fuckin' kiddin' me!"

"Please tell me I'm imagining that the elevator stopped." Carol said in a hushed voice.

"Sorry, but it happened." Daryl sighed. "No one's gonna fuckin' know about it either. Not unless ya get service in the elevator."

"Maybe I do..." Carol took out her cell phone. She flipped it open. No bars. "Damn it!" She shouted, and started moving it around. "Please." She begged. She got a bar. "Yes!" She quickly dialed the hotel's number. She waited for someone to pick up. On the third ring, they picked up. "Hello? We're stuck in the elevator. We were on the third floor, and wanted to go to the lobby, and the elevator just stopped!" She was starting to freak out. She listened as the girl spoke. She put her on hold to call someone. Carol waited, and then her voice came back on the line. "You're kidding?" Daryl glanced at her, wondering what they were saying. "Okay... Well thanks." She hung up the phone, and then looked at Daryl. "The woman said it will be atleast an hour before they can get us out."

"An hour? Are you fuckin' serious?" Daryl was pissed off now. "Some fuckin' service they got here. How do they expect us to stay in this damn elevator for an hour?"

Carol thought about being stuck in this elevator. It was no doing her any favors. "Oh god... We're going to die!" She fell to the floor. "I'm never going to see Sophia again. I'll never see anyone again. No no no..."

Daryl knelt down beside her. "Calm down woman, we ain't gonna die."

"You don't know that!" Daryl backed away a little. She was hyperventilating now.

"Carol? You okay?" He asked. Why was she hyperventilating? "Wait... You ain't claustrophobic are ya?"

"Maybe..." Carol was taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She thought about them never getting her out. She thought about being stuck in here for the rest of her life. It wasn't helping. "Oh god this can't be happening." She squeaked out.

"Hey." He put his hands on her shoulders. "We're gonna be fine, ya hear me? We ain't gonna die, we won't be stuck her forever. They'll get us out." He had to try and calm her. He didn't need her passing out on him. That wouldn't be good at all. "Just, try to calm down." He said quietly. "Look at me." He lifted her chin so she was looking him in the eyes. "We'll be fine."

Carol nodded, and tried her best to calm down. The elevator wasn't that big, it could only fit about four people at a time. "You're right... You're right... We can make it..." She steadied her breathing. "We should have taken those stairs..."

"Yeah, I'm startin' to realize that." Daryl sighed. "Disadvantage of bein' too lazy in the mornin'." Carol laughed at him.

"Yeah, you got that right." She smiled at him. He returned it, and then sat back against the wall of the elevator. She moved over and sat beside him. "So what do we do to kill time in an elevator?" She asked, turning her head to look at him.

"Beats me." He shrugged.

"Well, I guess we're going to be bored for the next hour." Carol sighed. She thought about something they could do, but it wasn't something she was going to do. She already screwed up last night when she tried it. She looked down at her phone as it rang. It was Lori. "Hello?"

"Where the hell did you guys disappear to? You didn't go back to your hotel room did you? Sophia told me about you two getting real comfy this morning." Carol felt like slapping Lori. "I mean, if I interrupted something I'm sorry, but still."

"No Lori." She sighed in frustration. "We got stuck in the elevator. They said it will be another hour before they can get us out. Atleast."

"Oh my god! That's terrible!" Carol heard her telling everyone else the situation. "So you and Daryl are stuck for an hour? What are you going to do?" She knew what Lori was suggesting. "Maybe you and him could..."

"No Lori." Carol set her straight before she could even finish that sentence.

"I bet he would be okay with it, just saying." Lori chuckled.

"Just go eat your breakfast." Carol muttered. Lori laughed, and she hung up the phone.

"The fuck did she want?" Daryl asked.

"Wanted to know why we weren't there." Carol shook her head. She wasn't going to tell him what else she said. There wasn't a chance in hell she'd ever do what Lori suggested. She would never ever have sex on an elevator. It was just wrong on so many levels.

"Oh." Daryl nodded. He stared up at the ceiling. "This fuckin' sucks. It feels like we been in here forever and it's only been like five damn minutes." Daryl sighed.

"It's going to feel like an eternity before we get out of here." Carol put her head in her hands. "I hate my life something." She groaned.

Daryl banged his head on the elevator wall about five times. This was agonizing. He was hungry, and he was irritable. He glanced at Carol, who had her eyes closed. She was leaning against the wall, and she was looking up. She wasn't asleep though. The light in the elevator was right on her face. He had to admit, she looked really good. He always thought she looked good. She wasn't like the other girls. Long flowing hair, perfect body, slutty clothes, makeup. She wasn't like that at all. She had short hair, much shorter than his. She wore no make up at all. She usually wore t-shirts and jeans. And she wasn't a stick figure. She was pretty much perfect, atleast in his eyes. He had no idea how her husband could do that to her. How could any man resist her? She had the perfect personality, and she was gorgeous. He only wished he was good enough for her. What is she really liked him? What if last night wasn't a spur of the moment? He only wished.

"Hello? Daryl?" Carol said loudly. Daryl snapped out of his thoughts. His cheeks turned a rosey color. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, fine." Daryl said. He was just caught staring at her. How long had he been staring at her? He must've looked like a complete dumbass.

"Something on your mind?" She asked. He seemed troubled about something.

He didn't know if he should bring up last night or not. He didn't want to make it awkward, but he really wanted to know. "'Bout last night..."

"Is that what you're worried about?" Carol asked, a small smile on her face. "I'm not made at you Daryl, if that's what you're thinking."

"No, not that..." Daryl started chewing on his nails. It was a bad habit he had when he was nervous.

Carol knew she was blushing now. She understood what he meant about last night. "Oh... What about it?" She asked, biting her bottom lip.

"I don't know..." Daryl continued to chew on his nails. "Why did ya do that..."

Carol looked down at the floor. "I don't know..." She did know. She wanted to kiss him, it was as simple as that. "I'm sorry about that..." She sighed. "I didn't mean to... Make it awkward..."

"Ya didn't make it awkward... I made it awkward by not talkin'." He looked at her. "Did ya mean to do it?" There, he asked it. He felt his entire face go red afterwards.

Carol figured she might as well be honest. "Yeah..." She said quietly. "I did mean to..." She probably just made this whole situation awkward. "I know I shouldn't have done that... I'm sorry..."

Daryl wasn't sure what he was feeling right now. He couldn't deny that he was pretty happy she said she meant it, but he was also feeling a lot of other things. Why did she do that to him? What did that mean? "Oh..." He stopped biting his nail. "Don't gotta be sorry 'bout it..." He looked down at the floor. 'Because I wanted it.' He thought. If he knew how to kiss her, hell, he probably would've right now. But he didn't know how, so he just sat there.

"You're not mad about it?" She asked, finally looking at him.

"Nah... Not completely your fault... Guess I kinda led ya on..." He mumbled, and looked back up at her. She still looked beautiful, especially with her rosey cheeks. "Probably woulda kept it goin' if I knew how to..." It just slipped out. He hadn't meant to say that.

Carol gave him a small smile. She could definately teach him, though she didn't have much experience herself. She had never been properly kissed in her life. "Well, I don't really know how to either, if that makes it any better." She chuckled. Daryl gave her a small smile. She wanted to kiss him right now. "We could always... Try again..." She said quietly. She felt the need to ask his permission. "If you want..."

Lord knows her wanted to. They were alone afterall. "Ya wanna?" He asked, biting his nail again.

Carol smiled. She didn't say anything. She moved his hand away from his mouth, and shuffled closer to him. She was nervous, but knowing that he wanted to, it gave her a little more confidence. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and leaned in closer to him. He looked a little hesitant, but he didn't back away from her. She lightly pressed her lips against his, closing the small space that was between them. This time, there were no interruptions. She felt him tense up, but he still didn't back away. She slowly moved her lips against his, not trying to rush it. She hoped he'd get the hang of it. She slid her arms around his neck, and kissed him a little harder. She smiled against his lips when she felt him kiss her back. He was still a little tense, but he was trying. He placed his hands on her waist. Her heart was racing as she kissed him more. She ran a hand through his hair, her fingers softly scraping his scalp. His grip around her tightened, and he kissed her with a little more desire as she ran her fingers through his hair. She reluctantly broke the kiss, but her face remained very close to his. She looked into his eyes, a small smile on her face. The kiss had left her breathless. She had never been kissed the way he had kissed her. That was one way to kill time, that was for sure. "Well?" She felt a little silly for asking him that.

"Well what?" Daryl asked, trying to get his breathing back to normal.

"How was it?" She chuckled.

Daryl gave her a small smile, and pulled her back to him. This time, he was in control. He kissed her softly at first, and then kissed her harder when he got used to being in control. He had completely forgotten that they were stuck in an elevator. The only thing on his mind was her, and the feeling of her soft lips on his. He felt her fingers scrape against his scalp softly. He couldn't help the moan that escaped his throat. He decided to pull her onto his lap, it was easier that way. Carol smiled against his lips. She couldn't believe this was happening. Lori would be proud right now, thats for sure. She pulled back a little, trying to catch her breath. She didn't know how much time they wasted. "Wow..." She whispered.

"Wow what?" He asked, a small smirk on his face.

"You're really good, for never having kissed someone before." She chuckled.

"Ya think so?" Daryl grinned.

"Mhm." She smiled. She sighed and moved off his lap, sitting back down beside him. "I've never done that before..."

"Done what?" Daryl asked, turning his head to look at her.

"Had a makeout session in an elevator." She said. They felt the elevator move, maybe they fixed it? A few moments later, they were back on the third floor. The doors opened, and Carol practically ran out of the elevator. "Thank god." She finally felt free, though Daryl had taken her mind off the elevator for a little while. "And thank you." She winked, and walked back to their room. Daryl quickly followed her. No one was in the room when they walked in. Sophia must've been with Carl. Thank god. He sat down on the bed beside Carol. He already missed her lips. It was weird, he never felt like this before. "You know," Carol turned to him. "Sophia probably won't be back for a little while." Daryl got her hint. He chuckled, and pulled her onto his lap again. He never thought he'd be so into a girl. Carol smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "And you can read hints too. You're a keeper." She chucked, and kissed him once again.

_**A/N: Yeah... Kissy kissy. Lots of it. Sort of. Yep. Sorry, it kind of just played out that way. R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	10. Chapter 10

**A Secret**

**Chapter 10**

_**A/N: Sorry it took so long to post this chapter! I have been trying to come up with some idea after that last chapter and I just couldn't! And I also had a lot of activities this week! One of which resulted in a sunburn which still hurts. Anyway, hope you enjoy chapter 10!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

"How long were you stuck in that elevator?" Lori asked as they walked out of the hotel. Daryl and Rick were talking off to the side, Carl and Sophia were playing a game of tag in the parking lot, and Lori and Carol were just coming out of the hotel.

"It felt like a long time, but I think they got us out within half an hour." Carol nodded. "But, I survived. Thats what matters." She laughed.

"What did you two do? It must've been pretty boring just sitting in an elevator for half an hour." Lori sighed. "I can't even imagine being stuck for half an hour."

Carol glanced over at Daryl, and then looked back at Lori. "We didn't do anything..." Yes they did. But Lori couldn't know that. No one could know that. And they couldn't know about back in the hotel room either. It was a good thing Sophia knocked first. Otherwise she would've walked in on her mother making out with Daryl. That would've been really awkward and embarressing, for everyone.

"Carol?" Lori walked infront of her. "Why did you sound so guilty just then?" She grinned.

"I didn't." Carol glared up at Lori. "Now, I'll see you later." She walked past her. "Come on Sophia, time to go." She called out. Sophia ran over to her. She handed Sophia her bag, and they walked over to Daryl's truck. They put their bags in the back, and then waited for Daryl. He nodded to Rick, and then walked over to the truck. "Have a nice little conversation?" She asked.

"You have a nice little conversation with Lori?" He asked her instead of answering her question.

Carol just stuck her tongue out at him. He did the same. "Wow, it's weird when you're the youngest, but act the oldest." Sophia rolled her eyes. Whenever her mother and Daryl were around each other, they turned into children, or atleast thats what she observed. "Hey mom, can we go rent a movie?" Sophia asked as they got in the truck.

"I suppose we can." Carol nodded. "Daryl, would you take us there before bringing us home?" Carol asked.

"Do I gotta pay for it too?" He raised a brow.

"Shut up." Carol crossed her arms. "I do have money you know. You're the one who offered to pay for everything."

Sophia smacked herself on the forehead. Unbelievable. Just like children.

* * *

"Sophia, no." Carol shook her head.

"But mom! Please! It would be so fun and-"

"I said no." Carol took the movie case and put it back in it's original place. "We are not watching Paranormal Activity!" They had been looking for movies, and Sophia came across the horror section. Carol assumed she'd just keep walking by, but she was wrong. Sophia started rummaging through the different movies, and came across Paranormal Activity. She showed it to her and practically begged for them to rent it. There wasn't a chance in hell Carol would ever watch that movie. And there was no way she'd let Sophia watch it at her age.

"Aw..." Sophia pouted. "It's not like it would scare me..."

"I beg to differ on that statement. Now come on. Either you pick a suitable movie, or we leave." Carol started walking away. Sophia sighed and followed her mother.

* * *

Daryl pulled into Carol's driveway, and got out of the truck. Carol and Sophia followed. "Sophia, take the keys and run inside. Here is the movie." Carol handed her the keys and Finding Nemo. Carol was the one who picked it out, and Sophia agreed mainly because everything she suggested was a no. Sophia ran toward the front door. She quickly unlocked it, and went inside, shutting the door behind her. "So," She turned to Daryl. "Are you staying here to watch the movie, or going back home?" Carol asked. They both walked up the porch steps, and were now standing infront of the door.

"Think I'll pass on the kiddie movie." Daryl smirked. "Maybe I'll come over later." He shrugged.

"You sure? It will be fun." Carol smiled at him. "I'm going to make a couple of hot dogs for supper, and then for the movie there will be soda and popcorn."

"I'm good." Daryl gave her a small smile.

"You don't know what you're missing." Carol chuckled. "Well, I guess I'll see you later." She leaned up and pecked his lips. "Sophia is just inside... We don't want her to see anything she doesn't need to..."

"That would be a livin' hell." Daryl chuckled. "Cause then she'd tell Carl and Lori would over hear it and we'd be fucked. Ya know she can't keep her mouth shut."

"I know." Carol sighed. "Well, bye bye." Carol smiled at him and opened the door. Daryl nodded to her before headed to his truck.

"Were you kissing him?" Sophia appeared out of no where. Carol's face flushed red.

"Wh-What?" She stuttered.

"Is that why you were taking so long? You were kissing him?" Sophia hadn't seen anything, she was just assuming things.

"N-No of course not." Carol quickly walked past Sophia and into the kitchen. Her daughter was too curious for her own good. She obviously got that trait from her. Carol was always curious as a child. "Now uhm... Go do something productive..." Carol didn't know what to tell Sophia. She couldn't say go do your homework, because it was summer. Sophia just shrugged and ran upstairs. Carol sighed and reached into the cupboard to grab a pot. She turned on the tap and filled the pot with hot water. Carol reached over and turned on the stove, and placed the pot on the element. She took the hotdogs out of the fridge and set them on the counter. All she had to do was wait for the water to boil. She sat down at the little kitchen table and waited. Hopefully tonight would be a fun movie night.

* * *

"You're kidding right?" Sophia looked over at Carol. "Are you actually crying?"

"I can't help it!" Carol wiped the tears away. "It's so sad! He just left Dory all alone! All she wanted to do was help and she needed him! She loved him! He was her only friend and she is better with him! How could he do that!" She started sobbing again. "All Dory wants is a friend!"

"Oh my god." Sophia sighed. "It's just a movie mom!"

"How can you be so heartless!" Carol rubbed at her eyes. "I can't handle this." Carol shook her head and left the room. It was too much to handle. She needed some air. She opened the front door and ran right into Daryl. "Oh god I'm sorry." Carol backed away from him, trying to hide her tears.

"It's fine... Wait, are ya cryin'?" Daryl asked. He noticed that her eyes were a little red.

"Yeah..." She sighed, and laughed a little bit. "It's a stupid reason though."

"Ya cried over Findin' Nemo, didn't ya?" Daryl smirked.

"Maybe..." Carol looked down at her feet.

"It's a fuckin' kids movie. Ain't nothin' to cry 'bout." Daryl leaned against the wall. "Hell, no movie is anythin' to cry 'bout."

"Oh whatever." Carol pouted. "Well, you want to come inside?" She asked. "Tease me some more? You jerk."

"Sounds like fun." Daryl opened the door for her. "After you."

"Why thank you." Carol smiled and walked through the door. "Sophia honey, Daryl is going to join us for the last bit of the movie." Carol called out to Sophia.

"Yeah whatever." Sophia yelled back.

"Well, she doesn't care I guess." Carol chuckled. "Which I guess can be considered a good thing."

"Sure it is." He smiled and followed her into the living room.

* * *

"Well this shit is borin'." Daryl sighed as he stared at the television. "Why don't ya give me the remote 'n I'll find somethin' worth watchin'." Daryl reached for the remote, but Carol grabbed it before him.

"If anyone is going to find a new show, it's me." Carol started flipping through the channels.

"Give me the remote." Daryl tried to grab it from her hand, but she pulled away.

"No." Carol shook her head.

"Woman, just give me the damn remote." He tried again, and she stood up this time.

"It's my house! My rules!" Carol glared at him.

"Fuck that." Daryl followed her and grabbed the remote. "Hah."

Carol stared at him for a moment, and then lunged at him. "Give it back Daryl!"

"Ya fuckin' crazy woman?" Daryl asked as he fell backwards. The next thing he knew, they were wresting on the floor, fighting for posesstion of the remote.

"Give it!" Carol shouted, trying to tug the remote out of his hands.

"Fuck you!" Daryl growled, struggling to keep hold of the remote.

"What is going on?!" Sophia crossed her arms. Carol and Daryl both stopped. Their current position didn't look too good. They were on the floor, and Carol was on top of him. They were both breathing heavily.

"S-Sophia... Uhm... Why aren't you in bed sweetie?"

"Well I was trying to sleep, but I couldn't because of you two." Sophia glared at the both of them.

"It isn't what it looks like." Carol snatched the remote and stood up. "We were fighting over the remote."

Sophia just shook her head. "Just like children." She groaned as she headed back upstairs.

_**A/N: Sorry for the short chapter though :( I tried, thats all I can say. I've been so busy thinking about my next fic I have the perfect ideas and everything for it jsut ugh! I'm itching to write it! Anyway, hope you enjoyed. R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	11. Chapter 11

**A Secret**

**Chapter 11**

_**A/N: Haven't worked on this for a while. Back at it! :) Enjoy!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Carol was doing the dishes when the phone rang. Sophia must have picked it up, because it stopped ringing before she got to it. She shrugged, and went back to washing the dishes. She heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and then Sophia entered the room. "Mom, it's Lori." Carol took the phone from Sophia.

"Lori?" Carol asked, leaning against the counter.

"Hey Carol!" She could tell Lori was smiling. "Guess what!"

"What?" Carol was curious as to why Lori was so excited.

"Maggie just called me. She said Glenn proposed to her! They're engaged now! Can you believe it! And she's having a girl's night out on Friday, she wants you to come! We'll be going to a bar around nine, and staying there for who knows how long! It will be such a blast." Lori explained. Carol knew she couldn't handle alcohol very well, but she still wanted to go. It would be nice to have a girls night.

"Sounds good." Carol smiled. "Well who is going to drive us home? We'll all probably be drunk by the time the night is over."

"That would be me." Lori said.

"You? Come on Lori, no way you could resist a drink." Carol scoffed. "No offense."

"I know you're right." Lori chucked. "But I can't drink."

"What do you mean? Is something wrong?" Carol asked. Why couldn't Lori drink? She would always drink if the opportunity presented itself.

"Well..." Lori paused. "I'm pregnant."

"What?!" Carol shouted. "Sorry, what? You're pregnant? When did you find out? I didn't even know you wanted another kid."

"It sort of just happened. And we found out yesterday." Lori explained. "Carl is excited to have a new baby brother or sister."

"Well congrats Lori." Carol smiled. She had always wanted two kids, but didn't want to risk it, not with Ed. He wasn't a good father at all. He would beat on Sophia is Carol didn't step in.

"We're all going shopping tomorrow for something to wear. You should come with us!" Lori exclaimed. "You could use some fancier clothes hun, no offense."

"Alright." Carol chuckled. "I'll go."

"Great! We'll pick you up tomorrow! See you later Carol!" Carol said goodbye, and hung up the phone. Now, who would she ask to babysit Sophia?

"If you're going away, you should call Daryl." Carol hadn't even realized Sophia was still in the room. "He can teach me more about the crossbow. So call him." Sophia stood up. "Plus he's cool." She smiled. "Go on, call him."

"Calm down Soph." Carol shook her head. "Let me atleast finish the dishes."

"Fine. But then call him." And with that, Sophia left the room.

* * *

Carol stood back as the other three looked at different dresses. Carol didn't know what to pick, and she didn't feel like she'd look good in any of these dresses. She didn't have the body for it. She was too big in some places, and then too small in other places. "What do you think of this dress Carol? It would look cute on you." Lori held a purple strapless dress against Carol's body.

"Lori, I don't exactly have the body for a dress like that." Carol responded.

"What do you mean? You're thin." Lori continued to hold it against Carol.

"I mean, I don't have the _body _for it." She kept glancing down. Lori still looked clueless. Carol sighed in frustration. "My chest, Lori!" She said that louder than she should of. Her cheeks turned a light rosey color. "I don't have the chest for a dress like that..."

"Oh don't be rediculous Carol." Lori laughed. "You don't need to have a huge chest to wear this kind of dress. But if you don't want it, we'll keep looking." She hung it back on the rack. Carol sighed, and started looking for a dress.

"Oh, I'm going to go try this one. Y'all tell me what you think." Maggie hurried into the change room. The girls waited outside for her. She came back out wearing a beautiful emerald green dress. It had one strap, and the bottom was flowy. "What do you guys think?"

"Oh my god Maggie it's gorgeous!" Andrea grinned, walking over to her. "You've got to get this dress. It's amazing."

"I agree, that dress makes you look sexy!" Lori laughed. "You have to get it."

Carol just nodded. The others said everything she thought of. "Get it Maggie, it's perfect." That's all she could come up with. One down, three to go. Of course, it didn't take long for Lori and Andrea to find their dresses. Lori found a pretty purple dress, and Andrea found an amazing blue dress. Now it was just up to her to find something. Nothing in this store would fit her. They would have to go somewhere else.

"Well what about this one?" Maggie walked up, showing her the strapless red dress. Carol loved the color red. It was her favorite. The only problem with the dress, was the fact that it was strapless. And it was pertty short. It looked about mid-thigh. "Come on Carol, before you judge it, just try it on. I bet you'll look great. What do y'all think? Wouldn't she look great?" Maggie turned to look at the other two. They nodded in agreement. "See? Just try it."

"Fine." Carol grabbed the dress. She did not want to do this. She walked into the change room, and held the dress up to herself in the mirror. It was really short. "I can't believe I'm doing this." She muttered. Sure, she had worn a bikini before, but that was once, when no one would see her. She was able to hide her scars in the water. Sighing, she pulled off her shirt. She looked at herself in the mirror, seeing the scars on her side. Stupid Ed. He always made sure to leave the serious marks where no one could see them. He made sure the leave what would be permanent in a place no one would look. Somewhere it was always covered up. Carol slipped off her jeans, and then stepped into the dress. She didn't realize it would be a tight fitting one. And she was right about it being short on her. Once she finally adjusted it, she realized, it didn't look half bad. The tightness of the dress made her chest look bigger, but that wasn't why she liked it. It was actually a simple dress, no beads or anything fancy. It was just a black belt around the waist. She walked out where Maggie, Lori and Andrea were waiting.

"Wow..." Lori was speechless. She had never seen Carol look so good since she'd known her.

"Carol... You look amazing!" Andrea exclaimed. "You'll definately be the better looking one of us all!"

"I told you Carol!" Maggie smiled.

"You really think I look good?" Carol asked, a small blush appearing on her cheeks.

"Super good!" Lori nodded. "Buy it. Guys are going to be all over you."

There was only one guys she wanted to be all over her. Oh god, did she just think that? She turned around and disappeared into the change room before any of them saw her very red face. Looks like she'd be buying this dress afterall.

* * *

"Mom, Daryl's here!" Sophia shouted up the stairs. Tonight was the girls night out.

"Just a minute honey!" Carol called back. She was still putting on her makeup. Nothing crazy, just a little lip gloss and some mascara. She straightened her dress, and walked out of the bathroom, back to her room. She had bought one of those little purses to go with the dress. They all had. She grabbed it and then headed down the stairs. She didn't see Sophia or Daryl. Just then, Sophia zoomed past her, up the stairs. "Alright then..." Carol said as Sophia shut the the bathroom door. She continued down the stairs, and found Daryl in the kitchen. He had his back turned to her, reaching into the fridge. "Excuse me, do you live here?" She asked, a smile on her face. He always acted like he owned the place, and it made her laugh.

* * *

Daryl took a long drink from the water bottle, and turned around. He instantly spit out all the liquid that was in his mouth as soon as he saw her. His jaw dropped at the sight of her. She looked so... He didn't even have words for it. Well, he did, but those were better left unsaid. Her dress was just... Wow. "Uhm..." Daryl was speechless now.

"Whats the matter Daryl?" Carol walked up to him. Was she trying to act innocent?

"Uhm..." Fuck, say something dumbass. "Uhm..." Fuck. Carol was laughing at him. Well played Carol, well played. "Ya look..." Cute. Hot. Sexy. "Nice." Smooth idiot.

"Thanks, I think." Carol chuckled. Boy, he was blowing it right now. "Are you sure you don't mind looking after Sophia? I don't want to trouble you."

"No, no s'fine." Daryl said quickly. He still couldn't get over her. If they were alone, and she didn't have to go anywhere...

"The girls will be here soon, I should probably go wait for them." Carol interrupted his thoughts, which was probably for the better. He really wanted to kiss her right now. He hadn't really kissed her since the hotel. And that was nearly two weeks ago. Should he? Sophia could come down any minute. But if he didn't he wouldn't be able to for who knows how long. He didn't want to kiss when she was drunk, considering how she got when she was drunk. Perhaps he should just go for it. They heard a honk outside. "Oh, thats them." Carol smiled. "I'll see you later Daryl." No, fuck that. He grabbed her wrist when she tried to walk away. "Daryl, I-" He cut her off by crashing his lips to hers. He heard her little purse drop to the floor. Perfect.

* * *

Carol started to walk away, but Daryl grabbed her. Why did he do that? Her friends were waiting. She had to go. "Daryl, I-" She was cut off by his lips. She closed her eyes and dropped her purse. This was much better than going to the bar. Her friends could wait. She wrapped her arms around him, and he slid his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. She did not want this to end.

* * *

Sophia heard the horn outside, and watched from her bedroom window. She didn't see her mom walk out. Did she hear it? Maybe she should go tell her. She hurried down the stairs in search of her mother. She was probably in the kitchen talking to Daryl. "Mom, your friends are- Woah. Okay." Nope. She did not want to see that ever in her life. In the kitchen was her mom and Daryl, in a serious tongue battle. Nope. Nope. Nope. Time to move out. Time to leave the country. Never come back. Ever. For that image would be burned into her memory forever.

* * *

"Oh god." Carol jumped back when she heard Sophia speak. Her daughter had to be more loud when she came down the stairs for crying out loud. She just had a heart attack, and now her face was very red. She did not want Sophia to see that. The poor kid did not need to see something like that ever.

* * *

Daryl mentally freaked out when he heard Sophia's voice. He was introuble now. How was he going to be able to face her without things being incredibly awkward. Hell, what kid wanted to see their parent making out? It must've been horrible. That's what he was afraid of. But hey, the risk was worth it. He cleared his throat, trying to break the very awkward silence.

"Well I better go..." Carol said. "Sophia, why don't you go put on a movie in the living room?" Sophia practically tripped trying to bolt out of the room. "That was awkward..." She said quietly, looking up at him. They heard another honk.

"Lil bit..." He agreed. "Well... Guess ya better go."

"Yeah..." Carol nodded. She bit her lower lip, and went for one last kiss. It last a lot longer than she has thought it would. "I'll see you later." She said breathlessly, and then ran off to go to her friends.

"See ya..." Daryl said. He needed something stronger than water now. Maybe she had some beer in her fridge...

_**A/N: Woo, that heated up didn't it ;) Poor Sophia though... Haha! R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	12. Chapter 12

**A Secret**

**Chapter 12**

_**A/N: Let me tell you, this chapter will be fun to write. Hehe...  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

"Jesus Carol, I was about to come get you, you were taking so long!" Lori said as Carol closed the car door. "I mean what could have taken so long? You knew we were coming."

"Uhm, Sophia." Carol decided. "Sophia was talking to me."

Andrea looked back, and she smirked. "Carol."

"What?" Carol looked at her. What was she smirking about?

"Your pink lip gloss is smeared." Andrea started laughing. Lori and Maggie both looked at her, and then the whole car was in a fit of laughter, except Carol of course. Her face was so red. How many times would she turn red this evening?

After Lori finally calmed down, she turned around to look at Carol. They hadn't even left the driveway yet. "So, how did that happen Carol?"

"Uhm... Water bottle?" Carol had no excuse for it.

"As far as I know, the only man in your house as of right now is Daryl Dixon." Lori smirked. "You, missy, have some explaining to do!"

"When we get to the bar. I need a drink." She muttered, causing the girls to laugh once more.

* * *

"Alright, spill the beans Carol." Lori said as they all sat down at a booth. She was the only one with a shirley temple. The others had beers, and that was just to start off the night. They'd probably be moving onto much stronger drinks later on.

"Give us every detail." Andrea added. Maggie nodded along with Andrea. All eyes were on Carol.

"Well..." Carol had no idea how to explain this. Where did she begin? What did they want to know? Just what happened that night... Or when it all happened? "What do you want to know?"

"Everything. From the very beginning. When did you two get together?" Maggie stated.

"Okay." Carol sighed. "Well, it all started at the hotel..."

"I knew it!" Lori shouted, causing a few heads to turn. "Whoops..." She laughed innocently.

"Sophia really wanted to go for a midnight swim. So we all went. After I got out of the hot tub, I dipped my feet in the pool. What does Daryl do? He swims over and pulls me into the freezing cold water. So, I splashed him as payback. Then we kind of got into a splash fight. After that happened, he grabbed me, probably to stop me from splashing him. He hadn't realized at first that he grabbed my waist. Our faces were just inches apart." Carol couldn't believe she was telling all the details, but hey, that's what they wanted.

"Oh this is good. Keep going, I wanna hear the rest." Maggie stared, waiting impatiently for her to continue.

"Well, we sort of just stared at each other for a bit." Carol smiled slightly as she remember the scene. "I kind of got swept up in the moment. I just, leaned forward. But, as my luck would go, Sophia interrupted us just as my lips met his." Carol chuckled. "It was real awkward after that."

"If Carl would've done that to me I would've grounded him for weeks." Lori laughed.

"That must have sucked big time." Andrea sighed. "Especially the awkward aftermath."

"Yeah it was pretty bad." Carol admitted. She looked down at her half-empty bottle, and then back up at her friends. "Until the next day..."

"Oh it's about to get good!" Lori exclaimed.

"Remember how the elevator stopped when me and Daryl were in it?" Carol asked. Lori nodded. Maggie and Andrea didn't have any idea what she was talking about, so Lori explained that detail. "Well, after you called, we started talking. And then the topic about the previous night came up. And... Well I may or may not have suggested that we should try it again... And he may or may not have agreed... And we may or may not have made out the majority of the time we stuck in the elevator." Carol shrugged. All three of the girls shrieked. "And... We may or may not have made out on the bed when we got out of the elevator, and that may or may not have been the reason we didn't show up at the restaurant."

"Oh my god Carol! I never knew you had it in you!" Lori laughed.

"You seem like such a goody-two shoes! Who knew you were so bad!" Andrea grinned.

"I would have never expected you to say something like that Carol. What a story." Maggie leaned back against the booth.

"And there is still what happened tonight..." All the girls shrieked again. "I think it was the dress..."

"The dress that turned him on? Oh, was he all over you?" Lori asked, a smirk appearing on her face.

"You could say that..." Carol bit her lower lip.

"Oh god we interrupted something! I'm so sorry Carol!" Lori apolagized.

"What? Oh! No no no you didn't interrupt _that_. We haven't done that... And we won't for a long time." Carol chuckled. "Anyway, I was about to leave, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him. We could've stayed like that forever... If it weren't for Sophia... Walking in... On us..."

"Oh she didn't..." Maggie covered her mouth with her free hand. "What happened?"

"She was telling me you were here... And she saw that and we probably scarred her for life." Carol sighed.

"Well what it just like normal kissing or intense fiery passion?" Andrea asked.

"The uhm... The second one..." Carol finished off her beer.

All the girls squealed. "Oh my god Carol you are so different than you lead on!" Lori laughed.

"I think this calls for more drinks!" Maggie stood up. "Anyone up for shots?"

* * *

"I'm going to go play my game in my room." Sophia said, and hurried off upstairs. They hadn't spoken a word all evening. He thought he was going to die. The awkward silence was so heavy in the room he was being crushed by it. He couldn't imagine what it was like. He was incredibly embarressed, because he was all over the girls mother. She must hate him now.

"Okay Carol, just one step at a time." Daryl looked up as he heard Lori's voice, which was followed by a hysterical laughter. She must be totally wasted right now. He stood up and walked over to the front door. "Oh thank god. Daryl you really have to take over. Good luck." Daryl took Carol from Lori, and she was gone. Wonderful.

"Alright Carol... Easy now." Daryl said as he slowly walked her up the stairs.

"Oh you." Carol giggled. "When did you get so sexy?" She poked his face. "Seriously, your face is gorgeous."

"Yeah, okay." Daryl walked her into her bedroom. "Just, lie down..." He motioned to the bed. "You lie down, and I'll get you some water, okay?"

"Mm you're so cute." She laughed. "Why don't you come lie down beside me?" She patted the spot beside her.

"I'm gettin' your water first..." He'd get her water, lie down beside her, and hopefully she would pass out.

"Hurry back." Carol winked at him, and burst into a fit of giggles. He had to admit, she was pretty funny when she was drunk. But she was also very forward and held nothing back. Which scared him a little bit. He didn't want her to say something that she would regret later on. He reached into the fridge and grabbed a cold bottle of water. Heading up the stairs, he nearly ran into Sophia.

"Oh, sorry." Daryl looked down at her.

"Mom is drunk, isn't she?" Sophia was too smart.

"Lil' bit..." Daryl nodded. "Better let her rest. Just gettin' her this water and leavin'."

"You should stay. I don't want to deal with a hungover mom." Sophia walked back into her room. Daryl shrugged and continued on into Carol's room.

"Here is the water." Daryl said, placing the bottle on the bedside table.

"Good, now lie down." Carol patted the spot again, waiting for him to do as she said. Daryl sighed and did as she said. Carol smiled and scooted closer to him. "Did you miss me tonight?" She asked, trailing her finger up and down his chest. "Cause I missed you."

Daryl was starting to get nervous now. "Uhm... Yeah guess I missed ya..."

Carol giggled. "I couldn't stop thinking about you, you know." She kissed the corner of his mouth.

"R-Really?" Daryl stuttered. He shouldn't have done this. He should've gave her the water and left.

"Mhm." Carol nodded. "I was hoping..." She resumed trailing her finger along his chest. "We could pick up where we left off." She whispered. She didn't wait for his response, she just placed her lips on his. Daryl was finding it very hard to resist her right now. She was still wearing that dress. He knew this was very wrong. It was like taking advantage of her while she was drunk. He'd never be able to live with himself. He told himself he was going to stop it before it went any further. He felt her slowly lifting his shirt. He had to stop her now before it went any further. He just had to. So why didn't he? The next thing he knew, his shirt was on the floor, and her hands were roaming over his chest and his sides. Now he had to stop it.

"Carol, stop." Daryl reluctantly pushed her off of him. "Ya don't know what you're doin'. Ya gotta stop. Ya aren't yourself." He quickly got off the bed. "You're drunk, ya can't do this. I ain't takin' advantage of ya while you're like this."

Of course, she began to pout. He did what was necessary. If she were to wake up next to him with no clothes on she'd surely freak. "I'm sorry but ya would regret it in the mornin'."

"No I wouldn't." Carol got up and stood infront of him.

"Ya say that now Carol, but I know you well enough to know that ain't your style." Daryl shook his head. "I'll be downstairs on the couch." And with that, he left the room.

* * *

Carol woke up with a pounding headache. The one thing she remembered from last night was... She quickly turned to look beside her. Thankfully, Daryl wasn't there beside her. She would have hated herself if she had forced him into that. She didn't have much time to think before she ran to the bathroom. Sure, drinking could be fun, but the aftermath wasn't. Hangover's were the worst. After throwing up, she decided to have a shower. She didn't take too long, because her headache was just getting worse. She got dressed, and walked downstairs. To her surprise, Daryl was sitting on the couch watching television. "Daryl?" She asked.

"Sleepin' beauty finally woke up." Daryl smirked. "Was about to go check on ya. Guess I don't gotta do that anymore."

"Where is Sophia?" Carol asked as she sat down on the couch. The sun was harsh as it shone through the window.

"She went to hang out with Carl. Been gone since lunch. I fed her, don't worry." Daryl watched as she buried her face in her hands, and let out a groan. "Not feelin' too hot are ya?"

"No." Carol muttered. "Don't ever let me drink again." Then she remembered. "Oh god, Daryl. I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean to put you in a position like that. God I feel horrible." She apolagized.

"Don't worry 'bout it." Daryl shook his head. "Alcohol makes ya crazy. I knew you'd do somethin' like that, mostly my fault. I figured you'd regret it, so that's why I stopped ya. Just had to walk away."

"Still I feel awful about it." Carol sighed. "What time is it by the way?"

"'Bout 2:30 now." Daryl said. "Ya slept for a long time. Drinkin' does that. So how was yesterday anyway? Ya have fun?"

"Yes. We had a lot of fun." Carol chuckled. "Probably too much fun. They sort of... Found out about you and me."

Oh fuck. That was Daryl's first thought. They were probably disappointed in the both of them, because she was married. He never really took the time to think about what they were doing. She was a married woman. "What they say?" He asked nervously.

Carol smiled at him. She saw how nervous he was. She scooted closer to him, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Don't worry Daryl. They were really happy about it. I mean really happy. They wouldn't stop shrieking. Hurt my ears a little bit." She giggled. "I know, you're probably scared about us, right? Because of this." She pointed the gold ring around her finger. "He's an asshole Daryl. Trust me. He is not a good man, and I should have left him a long time ago. If I could change that, I would. But you need to know this, I don't love him. There may have been a time, where I thought I did. But I don't. When he gets out of that prison, I'm going to stand up to him. I'm going to leave him, and take Sophia with me. I'm not going to let him hurt me anymore." That was her goal. To stand up to Ed and get out of there as fast as possible. She wasn't safe with Ed. She never was safe with him.

Daryl knew she was right. Her husband was an asshole. He abused her. "When he gets out of jail, ya might have to hold me back. Or else I'll kick the fuckers ass." Daryl mumbled. "No man should ever lay his hands on a woman like that."

"Thank you Daryl." Carol wrapped her arms around him. She wasn't safe with Ed, but with Daryl, she felt the safest she would ever be. She knew that he'd protect her. He'd care for her. He'd treat her like she was worth something. Not like Ed. She had only been with Daryl for a short time, but she already felt like she loved him.

_**A/N: I seriously love writing drunk Carol. She's hilarious in my opinion. She certainly doesn't hold anything back, thats for sure. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	13. Chapter 13

**A Secret**

**Chapter 13**

_**A/N: Hello. Again. I just feel the need to write. A lot lately. That should be to your advantage. Enjoy.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

"Mom! Mom! Guess what! Mom!" Sophia ran into the house. Carol was sitting on the couch with Daryl, watching television. Daryl's arm was around her. "Mom! Daryl! Guess what!" Sophia stood infront of them, blocking the tv.

"What?" Carol asked. She was glad Sophia had gotten over the events that took place last night.

"Rick and Lori are going to the beach with Carl right now! They are inviting Andrea, Shane, Maggie and Glenn too! We have to go! Please! I love the beach! It will be so fun! Pretty please!" Sophia begged. Carol looked to Daryl, and they both made a face that said they didn't feel like it. Sophia got down on her knees. "Please mom! Please Daryl! Please!" She begged some more. "I'll do anything! I'll leave you alone for a long time if you want me to! Just please can we go!"

"Alright." Carol smiled. "We'll go."

"Yes! I'm going to go put my bathing suit on!" Sophia raced up the stairs.

"I should probably do the same." Carol stood up. "And you should get your swim trunks on."

"Didn't bring 'em." Daryl got up as well. "Can always go get 'em and then come back to get ya."

"Okay. I'll see you in a bit." Carol gave him a quick kiss. She waited until he was out of the house before she went up to her room to change. She had a one piece bathing suit, or she could wear her bikini. The one she was wearing at the hotel. Maybe she could be a little more brave and wear the bikini? She'd have clothes over it anyway. No one would see her scars. She pulled it off the hanger and slipped it on. Now what clothes would she wear? She could always wear a summer dress. Or maybe some shorts and a tank top. She grabbed a red tank top and some jean shorts.

"Mom are you almost done? We have to go!" Sophia called throught the door. Carol rolled her eyes and opened her bedroom door.

"We can't go until Daryl gets back." Carol explained, walking past Sophia.

"What? Where did he go? How long is he going to take?" Sophia pouted. She wanted to go to the beach right now.

"Sophia just be patient." Carol grabbed the sunscreen. "Here, you might as well put this on before we go." She handed her the bottle. Sophia quickly applied the sunscreen and handed it back to her mother. Carol put some on herself, and then put it in the little bag she was bringing. The bag had a few towels, some water bottles, and the sunscreen. She walked over to the window and waited for Daryl's truck to appear.

* * *

"What's wrong kid?" Daryl asked as Sophia came over pouting. Carol was busy talking to the girls, and he didn't feel like socializing with the guys right now.

"Carl isn't paying attention to me. He's too interested in Beth." Sophia sighed, flopping onto the towel. Maggie had brought Beth along so she could spend some time with her. "I wanted to go swimming but he acted like I wasn't even there."

"If ya want, I'll go swimmin' with ya." Daryl offered. Sophia nodded happily and ran over to the water. Daryl smiled slightly and followed her. She was a good kid, and he liked her. She was one of the only kids he could tolerate besides Carl. Though Carl got on his nerves a few times.

"Daryl!" Sophia called to him. Daryl turned around, and she splashed a bunch of water on his face. She laughed at his reaction. "Your face! It..." She couldn't finish the sentence, it was just too funny.

"Oh ya?" Daryl asked. He swam over to her and picked her up. She squealed, and continued laughing. "We'll see who's laughin' after this." He dropped her in the water. She screamed when she hit the water. Daryl laughed as she stared angrily at him. "So what were ya sayin' 'bout my face?" Daryl smirked.

"Okay, you made your point." Sophia huffed.

* * *

Carol smiled as she watched Daryl and Sophia in the water. She thought it was just adorable. The two of them spending time together. She was glad Sophia liked Daryl, and she was glad that Daryl liked Sophia. It was all perfect.

* * *

Sophia giggled and nodded. Daryl smirked, and got out of the water. Carol had her back turned to him, talking to the girls. They saw him, and he raised a finger to his lips, telling them to stay quiet. Lori just smiled and nodded. He slowly, and quietly walked up to her. Without a word, he scooped her up, and hurried over to the water. Ignoring her screaming and struggling, he threw her into the water. Both he and Sophia burst out into laughter. Lori, Andrea and Maggie giggled as well.

"That was just mean!" Carol screamed as she walked out of the water. "Who was the mastermind behind it? It was you wasn't it!" Carol pointed a finger at Daryl. He just shrugged, a smirk on his face. "Remember one thing Daryl. Karma." She stomped back to the towel. She sat down, and when she looked up, she saw Daryl and Sophia highfive. "Unbelievable." She huffed.

"I'm sorry Carol." Lori laughed as she walked over. "I saw him coming. I just didn't say anything."

"How dare you." Carol glared up at Lori.

"Oh come on Carol, you know you had fun." Lori smiled. "Look, why don't you just get a drink and relax?"

"What drinks are there?" Carol asked.

"There are some cans of beer for the adults, and some soda for the kids." Lori pointed to the cooler. "Over there by Rick."

Carol nodded. She would get one in a minute. Right now she was too busy glaring at Daryl and Sophia.

* * *

Carol walked over to where the cooler was. She reached in and grabbed a can of beer. "Did you have a fun swim Carol?" Rick asked, a small smirk on his face. Carol just fake laughed and started walking back to the towel. She popped open the beer, and was about to take a sip when Daryl stood infront of her.

"Can I talk to you in private?" Daryl asked, his arms crossed. What was his deal?

"I guess..." Carol shrugged, and followed him away from the others. He led her to the parking lot.

"Ya really think thats a good idea?" He motioned to the beer.

"Why not?" Carol asked.

"It's just ya went on a drinking spree last night. Ya really wanna do that again? Ya know, ya really wanna get drunk again?" He asked.

"I'm a grown woman, I believe what I drink is up to me." Carol went to take a sip, but he grabbed the can from her hands. "Oh come on Daryl!" Carol crossed her arms. "Give it back." Daryl just shook his head and held it higher. "Daryl I swear to god!" She growled, reaching for her drink.

"Nah." Daryl backed up. Carol followed him.

"Daryl just give me back my drink." She glared at him. "I will fight you for it, you know that."

"Sure ya will." Daryl nodded.

"That's it!" Carol grabbed the drink. They were both tugging on it. After a couple minutes of fighting for it, it fell to the ground. Carol watched as it hit the pavement. Her mouth dropped open, and she glared up at Daryl.

"Oops." Daryl smirked.

"You're an asshole." Carol muttered before pressing her lips against his. She pulled him closer to her. That anger had turned into a burning passion. She felt Daryl push her against his truck. The longer they kissed, the more intense the kiss got. She had to break away for air.

"The others are gonna wonder where we went." Daryl said between breaths.

"I don't care." Carol pulled him back.

* * *

"What excuse do you think they're going to make when they come back?" Lori asked. "I bet it will be that she forgot something in his truck."

"That sounds like something she'd say." Maggie chuckled. "We all know what they were really doing."

"Of course we do. They probably can't keep their hands off each other. I can't imagine what it's like at home." Lori laughed. "Maybe thats why Sophia is over at our house a lot."

"I wouldn't blame her." Andrea chuckled. "That is something you don't want to see."

"Especially when you're a kid." Maggie agreed.

"Oh well." Lori shrugged. "If they want to be lovesick highschool kids let them. I don't see any harm in it." She smiled. She was happy Carol found someone she truely cared about. She knew all about Ed. He didn't deserve Carol's loyalty. She was glad she found Daryl. He probably made her stronger. And she knew how Daryl was. He'd do anything to protect her. They were a good match for each other.

* * *

"Okay." Carol panted. "Maybe we should get back to them. We've been gone for a while." After a while they found themselves in the bed of his truck, making out like a couple of teenagers. "I mean, we can always continue when we get back to my place." She winked.

"Good idea." Daryl nodded, sitting up. "What do we tell them? I mean, we can't tell them we were busy in the back of my truck. How bad would that sound."

"You're right. Uhm... I forgot something at home and you drove me to get it." Carol nodded. "Sounds believable right?"

"Believable enough." Daryl agreed, and hopped out of the truck. "C'mon, lets go."

Carol took his hand and jumped out of the truck. She looked up at him, and noticed his hair was a little messy. "Here." She said, and did her best to fix it. "They would think something went on if we left your hair the way it was..." She chuckled.

"Well where did you two go?" Lori asked as Carol and Daryl returned. She winked at Andrea and Maggie before returning her gaze to Carol.

"I forgot something at home. Daryl drove me to pick it up." Carol nodded. The girls had to hold in their giggles. "We didn't miss anything did we?"

"Not at all." Lori shook her head. "So, what did you forget, Carol?"

Oh crap, she hadn't thought that far ahead. "Bug spray." She said quickly. That was the best she could come up with.

"Funny, there are no bugs here." Maggie smiled up at them.

"I haven't seen any either." Andrea crossed her arms, a small smirk appearing on her face.

"Shut up." Carol warned them, and walked away with Daryl following closely behind her. She heard the three of them laughing. "I think they saw through that lie..."

"Probably because you blabbed all the details last night." Daryl muttered.

"Oh screw you." Carol punched him.

"Not right here." Daryl smirked. Carol punched him harder.

"You're... Ugh." She groaned in frustration. "Smartass." She muttered.

"Ya know ya like it." He winked at her, and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Carol asked.

"Get a beer."

"So you can have one, and I can't? How is that fair?" Carol glared up at him. "Get me one too. Seeing as you dropped my other one." Daryl just nodded and walked over to the cooler When he came back, he handed her a can. "You think your funny?" She asked, holding up the can of rootbeer.

"Lil' bit." Daryl nodded, popping open his can of beer. He took a long swig from it. "Refreshing."

"I hate you." She said, opening her can of rootbeer. He was a real smartass.

* * *

"Mom can we get some ice cream?" Sophia asked as they got into Daryl's truck. "I really some Dairy Queen."

"I don't know. Daryl, do you want some ice cream?" Carol asked, clicking in her seat belt.

"Don't matter to me." Daryl shrugged. Sophia cheered.

"Alright then. What are you planning on getting Soph?" Carol looked over at her daughter.

"A blizzard, obviously." She brushed her hair out of her face. "Why would you not get a blizzard?"

"I don't know Sophia. Maybe people just don't like blizzards." Carol replied.

"Well those people are dumb." Sophia nodded to herself.

"Sophia don't be rude." Carol looked up at her daughter. "What about you Daryl? Are you getting anything?"

"Nah." Daryl shook his head. "Don't need any. Not a big fan of ice cream."

"What?!" Sophia looked shocked. "How can you not like ice cream? It's like, the best invention known to mankind! I could live off of ice cream! How could you say you don't like it! You're crazy." Sophia went on and on. Carol just rolled her eyes. "I mean, it's ice cream! There is no other reason than that."

"I just ain't a big fan. Never said it wasn't good. Just not all the time. Maybe every few months it's alright." Daryl shrugged, pulling into the Dairy Queen parking lot. "Knock yourselves out." Daryl said.

"You're staying here?" Carol asked.

"Yeah, might as well." Daryl nodded.

"Okay." Carol got out of the truck. Sophia ran inside. Carol followed her, and looked up at the selections. Maybe she'd get a sundae. "What kind of blizzard do you want Sophia?"

"S'mores blizzard!" Sophia exclaimed.

Carol walked up to the counter. "A small s'mores blizzard and a small hot fudge sundae please." She took out her wallet. She handed the man a twenty, and put the change back into her wallet. It took five minutes for both of their orders to be completed. "Thank you." Carol smiled, handing Sophia her blizzard.

"Yum!" Sophia grinned and walked out to Daryl's truck.

* * *

Sophia ran upstairs to her room as soon as they entered the house. Carol kicked off her shoes and walked over to the couch. Daryl followed her, and sat beside her. She put a spoonful of the sundae in her mouth. "Mm, that is some good stuff." She sighed contently, taking another spoonful. "The fudge is my favorite part."

"Ya seem to be enjoying that sundae. Should I leave ya two alone?" Daryl asked.

"Oh! Right, you're here." Carol winked. She turned on the television. "There, occupy yourself with that."

"Haha, you're funny." Daryl said sarcastically.

"I know." Carol smiled. This ice cream was like heaven. It didn't take her long to finish it. "That was good." She smiled, leaning against the back of the couch. "You missed out."

Daryl scoffed, and turned to look at her. He noticed she had some ice cream left on her lips. He could tell her, or he could have a little fun with it. He leaned closer to her. Without warning, he slowly dragged his tongue across her lips, causing her to gasp. "Didn't miss out on much." He winked, and returned his attention to the television, acting like nothing happened.

Carol grabbed the remote and turned off the tv. He looked over at her. "I was watchin' that!" Carol didn't care. She crashed her lips onto his, causing him to fall backwards on the couch. She crawled ontop of him, not once breaking the kiss. They stayed like that for a while. Finally, she broke away, but kept her lips inches away from his.

"That's what you get when you tease me like that." She whispered.

"Oh really?" Daryl asked. "What about if I do this?" He lightly kissed the corner of her mouth. "Or this?" He trailed gentle kisses down her neck.

Carol closed her eyes as he kissed her neck. It sent shivers down her spine. She let out a soft moan. When he stopped, she attacked his lips once again. Hopefully Sophia wouldn't come downstairs, because this was way worse than what she saw last night. There was probably a lot more tongue involved this time. They kissed until the point where neither could breathe. "Unless you want me to take you upstairs, I suggest you stop." She whispered in his ear.

"Maybe I'll take my chances." He smirked. She smiled, and resumed where they left off.

_**A/N: Don't you like when Daryl gets brave and flirty like that? ;) This was more fun to write. Hehe. Hehehe. I hope you enjoyed it. R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	14. Chapter 14

**A Secret**

**Chapter 14**

_**A/N: I hope you guys liked the last chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! And now I hope you enjoy this chapter!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Carol walked into the coffee shop, and spotted the brunette waving at her. She smiled and walked over to the table. "I'm sorry I called you on such short notice." Maggie apolagized. Carol was a little surprised when Maggie called her and asked if she could meet her at the coffee shop. She agreed of course. She liked Maggie, and was growing closer to her thanks to Lori.

"Well I was a little surprised you called to be honest." Carol admitted. "So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"I know this is really short notice, and I know my wedding is in two weeks, but I wanted to know if you'd be one of my bridesmaids. I already asked Beth, Lori and Andrea. They agreed. I just need one more. So, will you be my final bridesmaid?" Maggie asked, a hopeful smile on her face.

"Of course I will Maggie." Carol smiled. Of course she would be a part of Maggie's wedding. It was an honor.

"Oh thank you Carol!" Maggie breathed a sigh of relief. "I was so worried." She admitted. "Now, for the next question. Are you free tonight? We're all getting together to plan the wedding. The decorations, the cake, the dresses. And the guys are getting together to plan their suits, the DJ for the dance afterwards, and the drinks. Me and Glenn will be planning the rest tomorrow."

"Yeah I'm free. So who is Glenn planning on asking?" Carol asked. She wondered if Daryl would be part of the wedding, seeing as he was friends with Glenn.

"Rick and Shane were his frist choices. I believe he is going to ask Daryl." Maggie grinned. "And then he is going to ask T-Dog. I don't think you've ever met T. He's a real great guy." Maggie nodded. "I'm sure you'll get along great with him."

"Daryl in a suit?" Carol chuckled. "I can't wait to see that."

"Me neither." Maggie laughed. "So, we're meeting at my dads farm. Glenn is meeting at Rick's house. At 6:00 if thats alright?"

"It's fine. I'll drop Sophia off at their house so she can hang out with Carl." Carol smiled. She glanced at her watch. "Oh, it's 4:30! I better get home so I can make supper in time."

"Yeah I better get home too. Thanks for coming Carol. I'll see you in a few hours." Maggie gave Carol a hug before they both parted ways.

* * *

Reaching into the drawer, Carol pulled out the cutting board. She decided to make pizza for supper tonight. She had to chop up the pineapple and the ham. She grabbed the knife and started to chop the ham, when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist. "Go away, I have to make supper." Carol smiled.

"Ya got plenty of time to make supper." Daryl said quietly.

"We have to leave before 6:00, you know that." Carol placed the ham pieces in a bowl and moved onto the pineapple. "If we want to make it on time. You have to plan out your suits, remember." She winked.

"Don't wanna wear no damn suit. Ain't my style." Daryl muttered.

"It is this time." She giggled.

"Ah shut up." Daryl growled.

"Yeah yeah." Carol smiled. "Now leave me alone so I can make supper. Or else you'll be going without tonight."

"Ya can still make supper with me here." Daryl started to kiss her neck.

"Can't make supper with you distracting me like that." Carol sighed as he continued to kiss her neck.

"Alright, I'll leave ya alone, for now." Daryl smirked, and walked away.

Carol chuckled, and shook her head. Now, back to the pizza.

* * *

"Yay! Pizza!" Sophia exlaimed as she entered the kitchen.

"We have to eat fast, we have to leave in half an hour." Carol reminded them. "Sophia I'm going to drop you off at Lori's house along with Daryl, and then I'm going to go to Hershel's farm. I'll pick you both up afterwards."

"Yeah yeah." Sophia and Daryl said at the same time.

"Good. Now eat." Carol grabbed a piece and placed it on her plate.

"Hey mom?" Sophia looked up, taking a bite of her pizza.

"Hm?" Carol asked.

"What's that on your neck?" Carol's face flushed red. Daryl. She glared over at him. He was trying so hard not to laugh.

"Would you excuse us for a minute Soph?" Carol stood up, grabbed Daryl's arm, and practically dragged him into the other room. Before yelling at him, she looked in the mirror. Sure enough, there it was, a little red mark on her neck, right where he kissed her. "What the hell were you thinking?!" She hit Daryl hard on the shoulder.

Daryl was too busy laughing to even achknowledge her anger. He was basically crying.

"It's not funny asshole!" Carol smacked him again.

"I'm sorry but it is fuckin' hilarious!" Daryl had to lean against the couch.

"You're going to pay later, trust me." Carol hit him one more time and stormed back into the kitchen. She could still hear Daryl laughing in the living room.

* * *

"Looks like Carol got a little action before she came here." Lori grinned as Carol entered the house.

"Oh, wait a go Carol." Maggie winked.

"Shut up you guys." Carol muttered, throwing her purse on the couch. "I was making supper and he thought it would be a good idea to come up behind me." Carol sighed. "Sophia was the one who pointed it out. I will be killing Daryl later."

"Aw, cute." Lori smiled. "Anyway, let's get started on the decorations."

* * *

"Oh come on ref what the hell was that?!" Glenn shouted at the television.

"Ya dumb fuck! Was the other teams fault!" Daryl shouted. All five of them were watching the football game. They had a cooler filled with cans of beer. So far, their team was losing big time.

"This game is rigged." Rick sat back down on the couch. "They always are." He finished off his second can of beer, and moved on to the third.

"I see you got a lot done for the wedding." Maggie crossed her arms. All the girls were standing behind the couch. They had been there for a while. "Dang it Glenn the wedding is in two weeks we need to plan it as soon as possible." She smacked him on the back of the head.

"How many beers have you had tonight Shane?" Andrea glared at Shane.

"Sophia, get down here! We're leaving!" Carol called out, and then moved her gaze to Daryl. "You're in trouble."

"It ain't like we did a crime here. Watchin' the game is American! Football and beer is like what bein' a guy is about!" Daryl argued. All the guys agreed with him.

"Well I think a wedding is more important than your little football game." Maggie glared at Glenn.

"Mom, can I sleepover at a friends house?" Sophia asked as she came running down the stairs.

Carol was going to say no, but then she realized, if Sophia was gone, she could beat on Daryl without having to worry about Sophia. Perfect. "Sure you can sweety, where does she live?"

"Well... She lives in the country." Sophia admitted. Right now Carol didn't care.

"Alright. We'll see you later. Come on Daryl." Carol walked out the front door, Sophia following behind her. They got in Daryl's truck and waited for him to come outside. Finally, he made his way outside. She could tell he was drunk. Not as drunk as she got, but he was still drunk. He got in the truck. "Okay Sophia, tell me where we're going." Sophia nodded, and started telling her mother where to go.

* * *

"How many beers did you have Daryl?" Carol asked as they backed out of Sophia's friend's driveway.

"Only like... One or two..." Carol glared at him. "Or nine or ten." Daryl muttered. "The game stressed me out, alright?"

"That doesn't matter Daryl." Carol sighed.

"So what, you're allowed to drink whenever the fuck you want but I ain't allowed to? That's real fuckin' fair Carol." Daryl growled.

"That's not what I'm saying." Carol gripped the steering wheel tighter. "You can drink when you want to. It's just you were supposed to be planning with Glenn. Not watching the game and drinking beer."

"Not like it's my weddin'. 'Sides Glenn was the ony who put the game on." Daryl glared over at her.

"Whatever." Carol sighed. She wasn't in the mood to argue with him right now.

"Why the fuck are ya drivin' slower?" Daryl asked.

"I'm not..." Carol was driving the same speed wasn't she? She looked at the speed guage and noticed it was slowly going down. Then she looked at the gas. It was empty. "Did you not fill up the truck yesterday?!" She asked as the truck came to a stop. They were stopped in the middle of no where. She didn't bring her cell phone. Hopefully Daryl brought his.

"I was busy yesterday alright? Thought it would be good for a few days." Daryl sighed. "Don't got any extra."

"Well then phone the damn tow truck!" Carol exclaimed.

"Fine." Daryl pulled out his cell phone. He dialled the number. Meanwhile, Carol rested her head on the steering wheel, trying to stay calm. "Fuckin' assholes." Daryl muttered, putting his phone in his pocket. "Said it will be a while before they can get to us. Apparently there was an accident in town by the bar."

"Oh great. Well I can't stay in here." Carol quickly got out of the truck. It was a cool night, and she had no jacket.

"Can always sit in the back of the truck. Got a couple blankets just in case." He made his way around the back of the truck. He grabbed a blanket and laid it out flat. "C'mon." He motioned for her to get in the back. She sighed and sat beside him. "Ya know I ain't mad at ya... Right?" He was starting to feel bad about yelling at her earlier.

"I know. I'm not made at you either." Carol gave him a small smile. "But you're still introuble with me." She pointed to the mark on her neck.

"Ya know ya loved it." Daryl smirked. "Don't pretend ya didn't."

"Hush." Carol smiled. "You don't need to know that."

"I already know that." Daryl grinned.

"You're such an idiot." Carol pulled him close to her.

"And ya love that too." Daryl wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You're right, I do." Carol closed the gap. She could never stay mad at him. She smiled against his lips as he laid back, pulling her ontop of him. They still had a while until the tow truck came. What better way to pass the time? She broke the kiss and looked down at him. "God, we really are like teenagers aren't we?"

"I'm perfect fine with that." Daryl smiled.

"Maybe we should wait..." Carol suggested.

"Why?" Daryl asked.

"Well, Sophia isn't going to be home. We'll actually have some privacy... Without having to worry about her coming down the stairs..." Carol bit her lower lip.

Daryl smirked slightly. "Ya smart, ya know that?"

"I know." Carol smiled. "I know."

_**A/N: Short chapter, but I'm writing the next one right away. I hope it will be longer. Hope you enjoyed it. R&R lovelies.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	15. Chapter 15

**A Secret**

**Chapter 15**

_**A/N: This chapter. Yes.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Carol stared up at the stars as they waited for the tow truck to come. It actually didn't take as long as they thought it would. Both of them hopped out of the truck as the guy backed up and hooked the truck up. "Well this was an eventful night, wasn't it?" She whispered to him.

"Yeah, pretty much." Daryl nodded in agreement.

"And it's not over yet..." She looked up at him, a small smile on her face.

"No it ain't." Daryl put his arm around her. "No it ain't..."

* * *

Carol walked up to the front door and took out her keys. "You want to come inside, pretty sure my parents are asleep." Carol chuckled. She unlocked the door and walked inside. Daryl walked in behind her, and closed the door. "It's going to be so weird, not having to worry about Sophia." Carol walked into the kitchen. She reached into the fridge and grabbed the last beer. She saw Daryl was giving her a look. "Hey, you had ten, the least I can have is one." She popped it open and took a sip. She hadn't had a beer since that day they went bar hopping, and that was nearly two weeks ago.

"I ain't stoppin' ya." Daryl shrugged, and plopped down on the couch. "Damn your couch is comfortable."

"I hope so." Carol sat down beside him. She turned on the TV and leaned against him. "The TV takes away the quiet." She explained, drinking some more from the can.

"Yeah, it does." Daryl responded. "Ya makin' me fuckin' thirsty woman. Let me have some." He reached for the can, but she quickly pulled it away.

"No. I want it." She started to chug the entire drink.

"That's just mean." He watched as she placed the now empty can on the table.

"Okay... Note to self... Never chug it again." She was feeling a little tipsy now. "By the way, I can't wait to see you in a suit. I bet you'll look handsome." She smiled.

"Yeah, right." Daryl scoffed.

"I'm serious. It'll probably be hard to keep my hands off you." Carol smirked.

"Good." Daryl smirked back.

"Yeah I thought that would get you." Carol stood up. She grabbed the can and placed it in the recycling. "Hey Daryl. We should go on a late night DQ run." Carol sat down on the couch.

"Or we could just skip the ice cream." He said in a low voice.

Carol smiled, and moved closer to him. She leaned forward. "I like the way you think." She said in a hushed voice in his ear. She gently pressed her lips against his. He pulled his lips away and started kissing her neck. He slowly trailed kisses down her neck, making his way to her collarbone. She bit her lower lip as a moan slipped out. He was teasing her again. She pulled away from him and got off the couch. She grabbed his hand and started for the stairs. As soon as they got into her room, Daryl turned around and crashed his lips onto hers. He pushed her against the door, closing it. When the door closed, she started pushing him towards the bed. He fell back onto the bed, pulling her down with him. Was this really going to happen tonight? His tongue moved across her lips. She parted her lips, and he slid his tongue into her mouth. She let out a quiet moan as his tongue moved with hers. She moved her hands to the bottom of his shirt. She broke the kiss, and slowly lifted his shirt. She threw it onto the floor. Daryl grabbed the bottom of her shirt, and looked at her nervously. Carol nodded, and he lifted her shirt off, throwing it near his own. He gasped at the sight of her. She smiled shyly at him, and moved so that he was ontop of her.

"Ya sure ya wanna do this?" He asked her. He had to admit, he was very nervous.

"I've never wanted anyone more." She whispered. He nodded, and started kissing her collarbone, making his way to just above her breasts. She dug her nails into his back as he kissed her skin. She never had the luxury of taking things slow with Ed. She was always forced into it. She never enjoyed it. He wasn't gentle with her, he just did it and was done in ten minutes. In all her years she never experienced the pleasure of real love. But Daryl, he was so careful, so gentle. He was taking things slow, working up to it. She could tell he was nervous, maybe even scared. If she was being honest with herself, she was also nervous. He bit his lip as he reached down to unzip her jeans. Carol smiled, and cupped his face. "It's okay Daryl... Don't worry about it..." He sighed, and gave her a small nod. A few moments later, her jeans were on the floor. His heart was racing as he looked at her. She was beautiful. He kissed her lips softly. It didn't take long for Carol to deepen the kiss. She took off his jeans, and broke the kiss. She looked in his eyes as she took his hands and placed them on her bra clasp. He knew what she wanted. He unhooked it and slid it off. His heart skipped a beat. He kissed her again, with more passion than he ever had before.

"Carol, you're so beautiful." He whispered against her lips.

"I need you Daryl..." She said, her voice hushed.

Daryl removed the last article of clothing, and kissed her lips, neck, and collarbone. He didn't stop there, he kept going lower until he reached her chest. She moaned, and he kissed her more. That was enough teasing. "Are ya... Ready?" He asked.

"Yes... Are you?" Carol wanted to make sure he was. She didn't want to force him into it if he didn't want to.

"Yeah..." He was scared but he wanted to do this. He took a deep breath, and did it. He could tell by the look on her face, it hurt. Nope, he couldn't do this. He already fucked up. "I'm sorry..."

"No, Daryl, don't say that. I'm fine, it's just... It's been a while." She hadn't done it in years actually. "I'll get used to it, trust me."

Daryl nodded, and started to move. He paced himself, being careful not to hurt her. She moved along with him, a moan escaping every so often. He moved a little faster, slowly getting used to the whole thing. He couldn't control the moan that escaped as he did so. She gripped his back tightly, pleasure surging through her entire body. She loved the feel of him. The tighter she gripped him, the more he wanted to continue. This would definately go down as the best night either of them had ever had.

* * *

"Good morning." Carol smiled brightly as Daryl made his way downstairs. "I made you breakfast. Pancakes, bacon, and eggs." She placed the plate infront of him. She had never been this happy in her life. "Do you want some coffee?"

"Yeah, sure." Daryl nodded. He didn't even care about the big breakfast infront of him. He cared about the woman a few feet away. He stood up, and walked over to her. He moved his arms around her waist, and pressed his lips against hers. She dropped the spoon she was holding, and wrapped her arms around his neck. She really loved this man. He was the greatest thing to ever happen to her. If it wasn't for Ed, she would never have been able to see him. If it wasn't for him nearly killing a guy, she'd still be his prisoner. She was almost sad when he pulled away from her. "Ya lookin' good today, by the way."

"You're not so bad yourself." She winked, pulling him back in for another kiss.

* * *

"Hey girls." Carol smiled at the four girls as she got in the car. "My god it is just a lovely day outside. After we get the dresses, we should go to a restaurant and eat outside." Her smile just got even wider.

"Jesus Carol, why are you so cheerful all of the sudden?" Andrea asked. They had never seen Carol so happy in her life.

"Oh my god." Lori grinned. "Carol got lucky."

"What?" Maggie turned to look at Carol. "You didn't!" Her mouth dropped.

Carol sighed contently. "Oh but I did." She stared up at the sky. "I did."

"Carol!" Lori squealed. "How was it? Was it good?" Well now they had to have the details.

"It was better than good. No words describe how it was." Her mouth was hurting from smiling so much, but she couldn't help it. "Girls I am so in love you wouldn't even begin to understand."

"Well wait a go Carol!" Andrea cheered.

"I think we need to celebrate! That is, if Carol isn't in too much of a hurry to get back home to Daryl." Lori winked. All the girls laughed, including Carol.

"Sophia is home now, we couldn't anyway." Carol sighed. They wouldn't have the chance for a while now.

"Why not? Rick and I did it with Carl in the house all the time." Lori said innocently.

"That's you. I'm different. I'm too scared she'll walk in on us." That was her biggest fear. She didn't want to traumatize Sophia to where she'd never be able to speak to her mother again.

"Lock the door." Lori said.

"Still, it would be weird." Carol shrugged. "Anyway, let's go get those dresses!" Carol changed the subject. The girls laughed, and started on their way to the bridal shop.

_**A/N: Short chapter because I stayed up all fucking night to write this for you guys. And that is the best detail for sex you're going to get from me, because fuck, I spent like 5 hours just trying to write that! I haven't slept, I feel the need to caps everything. I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY IT BECAUSE IF YOU DIDN'T I WILL FUCK YOU UP UNDERSTAND? I'm sorry, that was uncalled for, please forgive me. R&R lovelies.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	16. Chapter 16

**A Secret**

_**A/N: Been a while since I've updated this story! Time to update it again! :D  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

"Hey there baby brother. Did ya miss me?" Daryl stared in shock as his older brother stood infront of him. He was just watching television when he heard a knock on the door. No one ever came over to his crappy house. When he opened it, there was Merle, grinning like an idiot. When he was in court all that time ago, they had decided to put him back in jail, mainly because he was high as fuck at the trial. Dumbass.

"I thought... How the hell did ya get out of jail?" Daryl asked. God, he didn't break out did he? He didn't want to be responsible for hiding a wanted fugitive.

"Buddy of mine bailed me out." Merle smirked, walking into the house. "And word around town is ya got yourself a new girl. Finally, my baby brother is gettin' some ass!" He smacked Daryl on the back. "Was startin' to think ya might not be interested in the girl if ya catch my drift."

"Ya best shut the fuck up Merle." Daryl growled. "What's it to ya, so what if I have a girlfriend? Didn't think it was any of your buisness what I do." Daryl glared, sitting on the couch.

"Well I'm just lookin' out for my baby bro. Don't want ya endin' up alone for the rest of your life." Merle sat down beside him, a beer in his hand.

"Atleast I have a girl. Ya don't." Daryl stared at his brother. He was supposed to be going to Carol's house later. It would be the first time in about three weeks they had some alone time. Sophia was always home lately.

"Yeah but I've had lots of girls in my time. Ya haven't had one." Merle shrugged. "Not that it matters." He put his feet up on the table. "So, when am I meetin' this girl of yours?"

"Let me think, never." Daryl stood up. "Have fun here Merle. I'll be back later." With that, Daryl left Merle sitting on the couch. Hopefully he wouldn't get into trouble. Of course, Merle had other plans.

* * *

Carol heard a knock on the door. That couldn't be Daryl already? It was only one in the afternoon, Sophia was still at home. She wouldn't be leaving for her friend's party until three. She got up, and opened the door. Sure enough, there he was. "Daryl, what are you doing here? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to see you but, you're a little early."

"I just wanted to see ya." That was his excuse. Well, it was true also, but he mainly wanted to get away from Merle.

"Aw." Carol smiled, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Well, I guess we can just watch some TV until Sophia leaves."

"Sure." Daryl nodded, following her into the living room. As soon as they sat down, there was another knock at the door. He glanced out the window from where he was sitting. He knew that bike. "Oh no..." Daryl mumbled as Carol stood up.

Carol walked over to open the door. She had no idea who was standing infront of her. "Can I help you?" She asked, leaning against the door.

"Yeah, is Daryl 'round?" Merle asked. This couldn't be who he was seeing could it? He expected a tall girl with long blonde hair, not the woman who stood infront of him.

"Fuck off Merle!" Daryl shouted from the living room. Carol looked over at Daryl, and back at Merle. So this was Daryl's brother?

"You're the famous Merle?" Carol asked, crossing her arms. "Well, a pleasure to finally meet you."

"So, you're Daryl's girl huh?" Merle asked, a small smirk on his face.

"That would be me. Carol Peletier." She nodded, stepping aside. "Would you like to come in?"

Carol Peletier? This couldn't be the same woman. Ed Peletier was in the same prison as he was, and he was not a friendly lad. He knew well enough to stay away from Merle though. He knew what kind of man Ed was. He was almost a spitting image of their pa. "Sure I would, thanks for the offer." Merle stepped inside the house. This meant his brother was dating a married woman, damn, Daryl sure was different than he thought. "Good to see ya again baby brother." Merle smirked.

Daryl just glared at Merle. Jackass followed him. "The fuck you doin' here."

"You weren't goin' to invite me over, so I thought I'd come by myself and meet your girl." Merle flopped on the couch beside Daryl.

"Well, how about I go get us some drinks." Carol nodded, walking into the kitchen.

"Ya know she's married right?" Merle turned serious. "And not to the friendliest of guys either."

"Yeah, I know." Daryl growled. "He still got two months in prison. Carol said she's gonna set him straight." Wait. How did Merle know all this? "How ya know she was married?"

"Her bastard husband was in the same prison as me. He ain't a good guy Daryl. But he knew enough to stay away from me. Cause no one messes with ol' Merle." He smirked.

"Right." Daryl scoffed. He turned his head as Carol walked back in with some lemonade.

"Here we are." Carol smiled, sitting on the other side of Daryl. She noticed Daryl was glaring at Merle.

Merle got the message. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I best be goin'. Was a pleasure meetin' ya Carol." He nodded, walking towards the door. "I'll see ya later Daryl. Make sure to pick up some food before ya come home." He didn't wait for a response before heading out the door.

"Idiot." Daryl mumbled, grabbing the glass of lemonade.

"He doesn't seem that bad. Nothing like you described. I think he's quite nice." Carol said, leaning her head against Daryl's shoulder. "We should all go out to dinner sometime."

"Ya can't be serious." Daryl glanced at her. "Ya sayin' ya want to go somewhere with Merle?"

"Why not? Like I said, he seems like an alright guy." Carol smiled. "Of course, you'll always be number one."

"Stop it." Daryl smiled.

"It's true." She shrugged. They both turned around as they heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Mom!" Sophia walked into the living room. "Oh hi Daryl." She smiled at Daryl who just nodded. "Mom, I need you to drive me to get some snacks for Ally's party."

"You never said we needed snacks." Carol said.

"Well, we do. So can we?" Sophia walked towards the door.

"I guess." Carol stood up. "You want to come with us Daryl?"

"Why not." Daryl shrugged, following the two of them. Maybe he could get something while he was there.

* * *

"So, when do you think would be a good time for us to all have dinner?" Carol asked as Daryl came up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Don't know, and don't really care to be honest." He rested his chin on her shoulder. "Speakin' of dinner, what are ya makin'?"

"I'm too lazy to cook. I'm making us sandwiches. So be happy or go without." Carol turned around to face him. "So, what will it be?"

"I'm hungry. Give me the damn sandwich already." Daryl smirked.

"Not with that attitude Dixon." She smirked back at him. "Now apolagize or no dinner or dessert."

"Didn't know we was havin' dessert." Daryl tilted his head in confusion.

"Well, I figured we would." Her eyes were filled with mischief. "After all, Sophia isn't home."

Oh, that's what she meant. Daryl chuckled. "Alright, I'm sorry."

Carol just pushed him away, a smile on her face. "Because you totally meant that." She grabbed the plates and walked away. "Guess I'm eating for both of us tonight!"

"That ain't fair woman!" Daryl walked after her. "I haven't eaten all day!" He pouted.

"So?" Carol asked, taking a bite of the first sandwich. She washed it down with some water. "Not my fault."

Daryl grinned, she was pretty good at these games. He sat down beside her, and pressed his lips against hers. "I'm sorry."

"That's more like it." Carol sighed contently, and handed him the plate.

"So... Do I still get dessert?" He asked quietly, biting into his sandwich.

"Oh yeah..." Carol smirked.

"Thank god." Daryl sighed in relief.

_**A/N: Yes! I brought Merle back into the story! :D I just, I love Merle. Honestly. He's such an awesome guy. And that flirty Caryl-ness. Don't deny that you loved it. R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	17. Chapter 17

**A Secret**

**Chapter 17**

_**A/N: Well, our story is coming to an end soon, just thought I'd let you know that. Probably only two or three chapters left. Anyway, enjoy this update.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

"I was watching that!" Sophia protested as Carol turned the channel to the news. Carol didn't say anything, and just watched the television. Sophia huffed, and crossed her arms. She hated watching the news. It was unbelievably boring. She didn't understand why adults always watched it. She hopped off the couch when she heard the phone ring, and answered it. "Hello?"

"Sophia?" Daryl's voice appeared on the other line. "Is Carol home?"

"Yeah. She's watching the stupid news." Sophia muttered.

"I here ya kid I hate that shit too." Sophia tilted her head as she heard a strange voice on the other line.

"Merle what the hell are ya doin'?!" Daryl growled into the phone towards his brother. Sophia heard a laugh after Daryl spoke. Well, this was more entertaining than the news.

"Ya were goin' to phone your sweetheart weren't ya. Thought maybe I'd listen in to all the romance shit ya say to her!" Merle laughed again. Sophia couldn't help but giggle.

"You should see them when they're together. It's a giant yuck fest." Sophia smiled.

"I bet it is kid." Merle laughed.

"Should I just hang up and let the two of ya talk?" Daryl asked sarcastically. He did not like this conversation at all.

"Alright lil' brother, don't get ya panties in a twist now." Merle chuckled. "Maybe I'll phone back and talk to the kid later. After all I'd love some dirt on ya Daryl."

"I've got plently of that." Sophia giggled. Suddenly, the phone was yanked out of her hand. She looked up to see Carol looking unimpressed. Sophia found it best to run before her mother could say anything.

"Daryl?" Carol said into the phone. "Was Sophia bothering you?"

"Nah, not too much. I enjoyed talkin' with that kid." Merle smirked into the phone.

"Hello Merle." Carol rolled her eyes.

"Nice talkin' to ya again peaches." Merle wasn't going to hang up anytime soon.

"Well, since you're both here, I think, I was wondering if tonight you'd like to go out for supper. That way you and me can get to know each other Merle." Carol suggested.

"The kid goin'?" Merle asked.

"I was planning on taking her." Carol didn't know why he wanted to know if Sophia was going.

"Good. Me and the kid can talk some dirt on the both of ya and embarrass the livin' daylights outta ya! Should be fun." She heard a click on the other end. She wondered which brother it was that hung up.

"Fuckin' asshole." She smiled when she heard Daryl mutter. "Ya sure ya want that guy at the dinner table?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Carol chuckled at Daryl's obvious frustration. "So, you'll meet us here at six?"

"Do I got a choice?" Daryl asked.

"No." Carol smiled, twirling the cord around her finger.

"Fine. See ya then." He hesitated. She wondered what he was hesitating for. When he was sure of something, he came back on the line. "I love ya."

Carol broke out into a huge smile. "I love you too."

"Damn, that is sappy." Merle laughed loudly. Daryl said he goodbye to her and hung up the phone. Merle was still on the phone. She heard Daryl storm to wherever Merle was. She heard some shouting, and what sounded like hitting? She couldn't help but laugh. Boy, they would be fun at dinner, that was for sure. She hung up the phone, and turned around to see Sophia standing there.

"We're going out for supper?" She asked.

"Yes. We're going out with Daryl and his brother Merle." Carol smiled. "Are you okay with that?"

"Yes." Sophia nodded. She was actually excited. Her little conversation with Merle had been hilarious. She found great joy in embarrassing her mother infront of Daryl. And it was obvious Merle had the same feeling on his brother. Together they would be unstoppable. Sophia grinned to herself before walking back up the stairs.

* * *

Carol locked the front door and smiled as Daryl hopped out of the truck. She met him halfway and kissed him. "Ya was right kid, that is bad." Merle smirked from behind them. Sophia was standing beside him, shielding her eyes.

"They are always making out it's gross." Sophia peeked through her fingers. Still going. "Disgusting!" She called out, hoping it would make them stop.

"Come Darylina, ya makin' the kid uncomfortable." Merle walked over and smacked the back of Daryl's head. "Save that shit for the bedroom."

Sophia plugged her ears and closed her eyes tight. She didn't not hear that. Nope. Not a word.

Carol walked over and tapped Sophia on the shoulder. She opened one eye, and then unplugged her ears. "Are we ready to go?" Carol asked, looking at Daryl.

"Guess so." Daryl shrugged. "Where we goin'?"

"A little restaurant on the outskirts of town." Carol smiled, opening the door to Daryl's truck. Sophia had to sit in the back seat while she sat between Daryl and Merle. It should be fun. Atleast, thats what she had thought. It turned out that it would be more fun for Sophia and Merle than the two of them.

* * *

"Ya ain't serious!" Merle laughed.

"Dead serious! I walked in on them in the kitchen and... Ew!" Sophia shuddered at the thought of the memory. "Too much to take in at once. It's weird enough knowing your mom is dating, but to see kissing is just blah!"

"Sounds like they are lovey dovey huh?" Merle smirked, looking at a clearly embarrassed Daryl. "Darylina, I didn't know ya was like that." He smacked Daryl on the shoulder.

"Shut up." Daryl growled under his breath. Carol had her face covered. She couldn't take much more of this. Sophia and Merle hadn't stopped talking since they got to the restaurant. Sure, she was happy that Sophia was getting along with the older Dixon, but she didn't like the topic they chose to discuss. They continued to talk despite Daryl's frustration. Daryl pulled out his cell phone and hid it under the table as he texted. Carol's phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out, and smiled a little at Daryl's text. It read "Kill me now." She placed a hand on his thigh and sent him a reassuring smile. He placed his hand on hers.

"They gettin' all lovey again! Man ya think they'd get tired!" Merle and Sophia laughed. Both Carol and Daryl hoped this night would be over quick. Neither could take much more of the humiliation.

* * *

"This was fun!" Sophia exclaimed as she got out of the truck.

"Sure as hell was kid." Merle smirked, messing up Sophia's hair. "Atleast for us anyway."

"Well if ya hadn't been buggin' me and Carol, woulda been fun." Daryl muttered.

"Oh you're just a poor sport." Merle laughed. "Come on kiddo, we better leave the two of them alone. Don't wanna witness what will happen in a few seconds."

"I second that." Sophia shuddered at the thought. "I'm thirsty!"

"Why don't you and Merle go inside and get a drink?" Carol suggested. "Seeing as you don't want to be around us."

"Good idea." Sophia nodded and ran towards the house.

"Don't take too long now. Don't wanna come out find you two rollin' around on the ground. Save it for the privacy of the bedroom." Merle smirked before walking towards the house.

"I'm about to fuckin' kill him." Daryl growled. "He's gonna be buggin' us forever."

"Let him." Carol wrapped her arms around his neck. "Nothing can stop us."

"Damn straight." He smiled, glancing behind them. He saw Merle and Sophia looking out the window. If it were just Merle, he would've flipped him off, but since Sophia was there, he figured it wouldn't be the best idea. So instead, he sent a glare their way. He saw Sophia giggle and then walk away from the window. "If they don't wanna see us, why the hell look out the window?"

"They want something else to make fun of. That would be my guess." Carol shook her head.

"I swear I will fuckin' kill him." Daryl smirked, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"Is that all I get?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "If we were alone, you would have tried to go further than just a kiss." Carol winked, leaning up to kiss him properly.

"But we ain't exactly alone. Otherwise, you're probably right." Daryl smirked, moving to kiss her neck.

"Daryl." Carol giggled, pushing him away. "You know I can't resist when you do that..."

"Damn." Daryl grinned, looking back towards the house. "Guess I better get back home." He sighed. "When is the next time I'll see ya?"

"The wedding is in a week. Probably that's when. I'll miss you though." Carol smiled, pecking his lips. "But you know you can see me whenever you want."

"Can I? With Merle around now. Someone's gotta make sure he don't burn the damn house down." Daryl stepped away from her.

"That's true." She chuckled, looking back as the front door opened. Sophia and Merle came walking out. Sophia had a kool-aid in her hand. "Well. I guess we'll be seeing you later Merle."

"Nice seein' ya again." Merle nodded. "Nice meetin' ya kid." He smiled at Sophia. Sophia just nodded, sipping her kool-aid. "Come on Darylina."

"Bye Carol." Daryl got into his truck. Carol waved to him as they drove away. Then she turned to Sophia.

"Did you enjoy embarrassing me and Daryl today?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"It was a blast. Merle is awesome. You should have him over more." Sophia nodded, a smile on her face.

"I don't think Daryl would like that much." Carol chuckled, putting her arm around Sophia. "Let's go inside and watch a movie."

"Cool." Sophia nodded, walking with Carol back inside the house.

_**A/N: Sophia and Merle bonding! :D R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	18. Chapter 18

**A Secret**

**Chapter 18**

_**A/N: Well everybody, it's Gleggie wedding time! Fun stuff! And this will be my last update for any of my stories for a week. Going to Edmonton woohoo! Will miss you lovely readers!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Merle couldn't stop laughing as Daryl fixed his tie in the mirror. His little brother in a fucking suit? It was priceless. No Dixon ever dressed up fancy, so seeing his brother in a complete formal outfit just killed him. He could tell that Daryl was getting frustrated with both the suit and him laughing his ass off, but it just made everything so much funnier.

"Would you shut the fuck up already? Ya think I wanted to be in a damn suit and tie?" Daryl snapped at Merle.

"I'm sorry baby bro but..." Merle just couldn't finish his sentence. He fell back on the couch. His sides were really starting to hurt. "Who made ya dress up anyway? Ya got a big fancy date with Carol?"

"It's for a friends weddin'." Daryl grumbled. "Had to be in the fuckin' weddin'."

"Damn brother, ya have gone soft." Merle shook his head, a smirk on his face. "Real soft."

* * *

Carol put on her earrings. Daryl would be here soon, and then they would be going to the wedding. She was excited. She always loved weddings, and they made her emotional. She glanced to the couch where Sophia was still watching television. "Sophia, go upstairs and get your dress on! We don't have all day!" She called to her, pulling out her lipstick. "Now Sophia!" She heard Sophia mutter something before stomping up the stairs. Carol sighed, and started applying her makeup. Perfect. She turned her head as she heard the door open. She smiled when she saw Daryl in his suit. "Hi there." She walked over to him, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Daryl smirked as he looked her up and down. "Ya look good in that dress." It was a black strapless dress with a blue ribbon around the waist. It was just above the knee, so he got to see her perfect legs.

Carol chuckled. "And you look good in that suit." She grinned, and pressed her lips to his. "And I can't wait to get you out of it." She mumbled against his lips.

"Ew! Too much info!" Sophia made a gagging noise. "Why can't you guys remember you're not the only ones in the house!"

"Sorry Soph." Carol smiled, stepping away from Daryl. "Are we ready to get going?"

"I just wanna get this weddin' over with." Daryl made his way towards the door. "Cause I hate this fuckin' tie."

* * *

"Maggie you look beautiful." Carol smiled as Maggie walked out of the bathroom.

"You really think so?" Maggie twirled around in the mirror. "Do you think Glenn will like the dress?"

"Of course he will!" Beth walked up to her sister.

"Well I'll be." Everyone turned around as Hershel entered the room. "My baby girl is getting married." He walked over and gave Maggie a hug. "Are you ready to walk down the isle?"

"Yes." Maggie already had tears in her eyes.

* * *

"Maggie, when I met you..." Glenn looked into her eyes. "I didn't think I stood a chance. You were just so beautiful, and I was, well, me." There were a few chuckles in the room. "I am so glad you let me into your life. You have made life worth living. You are the light in life. And I'm so happy to be marrying you. I love you, Maggie Greene." Carol wiped the stray tear that rolled down her cheek.

"Glenn, you are so different from all the others out there, and that is why I love you. You are the perfect man. I will forever be yours. You are my everything, Glenn Rhee." Maggie smiled, tears in her eyes.

"You may now kiss the bride." Everyone in the room clapped when Glenn kissed his new wife. It took everything Carol had not to burst into tears. Together, the bride and groom walked down the isle. Beth and T-Dog were next, follow by Lori and Rick. Andrea and Shane were the next to walk down, and then last it was her and Daryl. She smiled, glancing up at Daryl. He was so handsome in his suit, she loved it. She couldn't wait for the dinner and dance that followed. She had some tricks up her sleeve for the night.

* * *

Carol sat down beside Sophia after they finished eating. She didn't have to be sitting at the head table anymore. "Did you enjoy the wedding?" Carol asked.

"Yeah. I guess." Sophia shrugged. "I saw you crying."

"Yeah..." Carol chuckled. "Weddings make me emotional. They always have." Carol looked around. She didn't see Daryl anywhere. She figured he was outside smoking. "Do you want something to drink?"

"I want some coke." Sophia nodded. Carol stood up and walked over to the bartender. She got a coke for Sophia, and some beer for Daryl when he came back. She thanked the man and walked back over to the table. Sophia was busy chatting with Carl. Carol set the drink down on the table and walked off to find Daryl. She met him at the doors.

"Here you go. I got you a drink." Carol smiled and handed him the cup. "Where were you?"

"Just went for a smoke." Daryl shrugged, taking the cup from her. "So when can we leave this joint?"

"We won't be leaving until atleast two in the morning." Carol crossed her arms. "Why are you set on leaving?"

"Cause I know what comes after this party." Daryl smirked, causing Carol to blush a little bit.

"Not so loud." She whispered, walking back to an empty table. "You know... Everyone is up dancing..."

"Fuck no." Daryl already knew where this was headed. Not a chance in hell he was going to get up a dance. He did not know how to dance, and he just plain didn't want to. Nothing she said could make him dance.

"Aw, please Daryl?" Carol pouted. Daryl shook his head. No way no how. "But it gives you a chance to be close to me..." Still no. "So you don't want to be close to me?"

"Didn't say that." Daryl took a sip of his drink. "I just don't fuckin' dance." He heard Carol sigh. He still wasn't going to dance.

* * *

"I fuckin' hate you." Daryl growled as they stepped onto the dance floor. The only reason he was up there was because she threatened to send him home right after the party ended.

"Oh come on Daryl, you know that isn't true. You love everything about me." Carol chuckled. She grabbed his hands and placed them on her waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Now, do you know how to dance to slow songs?" He shook his head. "Okay, just follow my lead, it isn't that challenging. You'll learn right away." Carol smiled. "See, you're getting the hang of it."

"Still don't fuckin' like it." Daryl mumbled. Carol just shook her head with a smile. She leaned up and placed soft kisses on his face. This was only the beginning of her teasing. Making him suffer was one of her favorite things. It was amusing how anxious he got. She grinned to herself, remember one night they didn't even make it back to the house. It was the first time she ever had sex in the back of a truck. She had to admit, it was pretty fun. "What are ya grinnin' about?" Daryl asked. Carol couldn't help but laugh.

"I was just thinking is all."

"Thinkin' 'bout what?" Daryl tilted his head.

Carol leaned up and whispered in his ear. "The truck." She smiled as his grip automatically tightened around her waist. "You were so anxious that day... It was very attractive."

"Damn it woman... Ya gotta stop..." Daryl said quietly.

"The way you couldn't wait to get your hands on me... The way your soft lips kissed my trembling skin... The way your hot body moved with mine..." She heard his breath quicken. Perfect. She was quite the evil mastermind.

"If you don't fuckin' stop I'm takin' you into the bathroom right now and lockin' the door." Daryl said, his voice barely above a whisper. She wasn't making self control very easy right now. Curse her.

"Sounds exciting." Carol pulled away from him and walked away. He followed behind her quickly. The night was still young too. Carol was going to have a grand time.

* * *

Carol had been teasing him all night, and it was frustration. With every word she said and every action she did, it was making it harder and harder to control himself. He was dying to leave this party so he could take her home and straight to the bedroom. Right now, they were sitting with Lori and Rick. So Carol hadn't really spoken to him, thank god.

Carol knew that he was struggling, and it was so fun. She hadn't bothered him for a while, and he probably thought he was off the hook. He was very, very wrong. She waited until Lori looked away before she moved her hand under the table. She placed her hand on his knee, causing him to glance her way. She sent him a seductive smile before trailing her fingers up and down his thigh. She giggled when he spit out his drink. "What's the matter Daryl?" She whispered.

"If you don't stop I will drag you out to the truck right fuckin' now." Daryl muttered as he glared at her. Why. That was his only question. Why was she doing this to him?

"Go ahead." Carol was daring him.

"We'll be right back." Daryl growled and grabbed Carol's hand. He was practically sprinting outside.

"Where do you think they're going?" Lori asked as she watched the two of them disappear.

"I saw that look in Daryl's eye." Rick chuckled. "I think we should leave them be for a while."

"Oh." Lori grinned. "I get it now."

It was only ten, but Daryl couldn't wait four more hours. He needed her _now_. He opened the passenger door and practically shoved her inside. He ran around to the drivers side and started the truck. They couldn't do this in the parking lot. They were too likely to get caught. He drove around to the back alley. Not a person in sight. He turned off the truck and stepped outside. Carol followed him out. He opened the back door and waited for her to get in before crawling in after her.

"We can't be out here too long Daryl..." Carol whispered.

"You fuckin' asked for this." Daryl ignored her words and crashed his lips to hers. His tongue moved against hers furiously. He made quick work of her dress, throwing it towards the front. Carol ripped off his jacket, and then his shirt. His tie was the last to go. He kissed her bare skin, causing a shiver to run down her spine. She quickly took off his pants. She pulled him down and kissed his lips desperately. He reached behind her and unhooked her bra. The lacey fabric fell to the floor. His lips moved from her lips to the newly exposed skin. She gripped his back and let out a moan. It drove him crazy everytime she made those sounds. He couldn't take this slow any longer. They removed the reamining articles of clothing. He looked into her eyes. He could see in her eyes, that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. He thrust into her, causing her to arch her back and moan. He loved those sounds. The more he moved, the louder she got. "I fuckin' love you woman." He groaned out.

"I love you too..." She breathed out. He moved faster, and felt her body shaking. She clutched his back harder. "Yes..." She moaned. Her breathing had quickened, and he knew that she was close. It wasn't long before she was screaming his name.

* * *

"Well look who finally returned." Lori grinned as the two of them sat down. "Hm, did you go for a run? Or is there another reason why you're both so sweaty."

"Uhm..." Carol looked around, trying to think of an excuse.

"What you do is your buisness Carol." Lori chuckled. "I honestly don't care what you did out there."

"Mom, I want to go home. I'm tired." Sophia crossed her arms. She wasn't really tired. She just didn't like being around all these drunk adults. They were annoying.

"Alright Sophia." Carol stood up. "I'll go tell Maggie."

"Don't bother. We'll tell Maggie for you." Lori smiled. Carol thanked her and started walking back to Daryl's truck. She thanked god Sophia didn't have to sit in the back seat.

_**A/N: So yeah. I did better this time... I think. Don't judge. My online sister/lesbianlover (You wouldn't get this inside joke don't worry about it. If you're really that curious just PM me) found me pretty pathetic because I was complaining to her that I couldn't type the word "thrust". I can now. I got over that hurdle and I can type it now. Haha! Anyway, R&R lovelies!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	19. Chapter 19

**A Secret**

**Chapter 19**

_**A/N: This is the second last chapter guys! Can you believe it! Another story wrapping up. I'm glad you guys have stuck around this long! :) Enjoy this chapter.  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Daryl had been awake for quite some time. Carol was still asleep, cuddled up next to him. He had to be back home because Merle had wanted to go hunting. Daryl hadn't gone hunting in a while, since things started to get real serious with him and Carol. Not that he was really complaining. But his brother was finally getting away from the drugs, and if hunting was something to distract him from it, he'd gladly join Merle. But then, he also didn't want to leave Carol. He sighed, staring up at the ceiling. He had to. He shifted his position so he was facing her, and propped himself on his elbow. He had to wake her up, let her know he had to leave after breakfast. She looked so peaceful when she slept, he hated having to wake her up.

After a few more minutes of just watching her, he gently shook her. She started to stir, but didn't open her eyes. He shook her some more, but still, nothing. He could tell though, she was awake. If shaking wouldn't wake her up, he had a backup plan. He leaned down and placed a kiss on her lips. He pulled away, but she pulled him right back down. He smirked after she finally let him go. "I knew ya was awake."

"I was waiting for the sleeping beauty wake up call." Carol giggled.

"Well, ya got it." He sat up straight. "I gotta leave after breakfast."

"No..." Carol pouted, hugging him from behind. "Stay here." She rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Promised Merle I'd go huntin' with him. I gotta." Daryl moved to get out of bed. "He's finally stopped usin'."

Carol stretched, and then followed him. "Well, Mr. Dixon," She started, a mischevious smile on her face. "I have to have a shower. Would you care to join me?"

Daryl grinned. "Hell yeah I would."

Carol laughed, and grabbed a change of clothes before heading into the bathroom. Daryl closed the door behind them. She turned on the water, and waited for it to be the right temperature. When it was warm enough, she started to take off her shirt, when Daryl came up behind her. Slowly, he slid off her shirt. She turned around and looked him in the eyes. Never once breaking eye contact, she pulled his shirt over his head, and let it drop to the floor. He moved forward, and leaned down to kiss her, but she put a finger to his lips. "Daryl, before we start we should actually get in the water. I wanted to actually get clean first." She shed the rest of her clothes and stepped into the hot water. It felt good on her skin. Daryl climbed in behind her, and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Clean first, then maybe something else." She smiled. Obviously, Daryl didn't listen to her. He ignored everything she said, and started placing light kisses up and down her neck. "Daryl..." She tried to control her breathing. "You know it's hard to resist when you do that..."

"Exactly." Daryl smirked.

"You're horrible." She turned around, and placed a very heated kiss on his lips. And it only escalated from there.

* * *

Sophia was sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for her mother to come downstairs and make breakfast. She had seen Daryl's shoes at the front door, so she knew he was here too. She heard the shower running, and when she didn't find either of them anywhere, she figured thats where they were. She didn't want to know what was going on in that shower, considering she heard it turn on an hour ago. Couldn't they saved that for the night when she was asleep?

Sophia heard the phone ring. She got out of the chair and picked up the phone. "Hello?" She leaned against the wall.

"Hey there kid." Sophia smiled. Merle. "Have ya seen Daryl around? He was supposed to be back by now so me and him could go huntin'."

"I'm pretty sure he's in the shower... With mom." She shuddered at the thought. "I'm waiting for breakfast, and they've been in there an hour already."

"Dear god." Merle laughed. "They just can't keep their hands off each other hey? Well, when they come downstairs, ya tell Daryl that ol' Merle wants him to get his ass back here."

"Will do." Sophia nodded. She hung up the phone after saying goodbye, and returned to her seat at the table. Anytime now would be great. She turned her head when she heard the two of them enter the kitchen. She gave them an 'I know what you did' look. Both their faces turned red. "Daryl, Merle wants you to go home." Sophia said, and then looked to her mom. "And I'm starving."

"I guess I better go..." Daryl rubbed the back of his neck. He did not like Sophia's stare. She was a great kid, but she could scare the crap out of him sometimes. "I'll uh, see ya later I guess."

"Okay." Carol smiled. "Sophia, why don't you run upstairs and I'll start on breakfast." Sophia just shrugged and ran upstairs. "Sorry about her..."

"Don't matter anymore." Daryl slipped on his shoes and opened the door. "Damn, gonna be a good day for huntin'." Daryl noted, stepping outside. It was a warm day outside, but there was a nice cool breeze. The perfect weather.

"Be sure to bring back some meat so I can try some." Carol nudged him with a smile.

"Will do." Daryl turned around to face her. "Ya want me to call ya when me and Merle get back?"

"If you want to." Carol wrapped her arms around his neck. "There is one thing I want you to do though." Her eyes drifted to his lips.

Daryl smirked, and leaned down. When his lips met hers, he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. "Just can't get enough of me, huh?" He mumbled against her lips.

"I can never get enough." She whispered, finally pulling away from him. Whenever she was with him, she felt like a horny teenager. "You better get going." She stepped out of his embrace. "Or Merle will drag you away."

"He would too." Daryl huffed. "See ya later." He gave her one last kiss before heading down the driveway to his truck.

* * *

Ed gripped the steering wheel hard as he watched Carol kiss another man. So the rumors were true. He had heard from the guy who bailed him out that Carol was seeing a strange man in secret. And now to find out it was some piece of redneck trash? Fuck no. That bitch was going to pay. He waited for the blue truck to disappear down the road before marching up to the door.

* * *

Carol turned on the stove and walked over to the fridge. She pulled out the carton of eggs when she heard the front door slam. She dropped the carton, and the eggs smashed onto the floor. The next thing she saw, shocked her and terrified her. It was Ed. Why was he back? He wasn't supposed to get out for another month...

"You think you can get away with cheating on me you little bitch?" Ed was in her face in a matter of seconds. Carol was speechless. She was also too afraid to move a muscle. "Huh? You think you can just run around with redneck trash while I'm sitting in jail rotting away? Like fucking hell." He shouted. Carol started to back away, but her back soon met the wall. She was cornered. "When I'm fucking finished with you, you're going to wish you were never born."

* * *

Sophia jumped at the sound of the door slam. She tip-toed out of her room, and stood at the top of the stairs. She saw her daddy walk by. Oh no. Fear came over her as she ran back to her room. She could hear his shouting loud and clear. He had found out about Daryl. Her heart started to race as she listened to her fathers angry words. She needed to call Daryl. He would protect her. He would protect her mom. He was more of a father than her real daddy ever was. But she didn't have a phone in her room. She only hoped that her mother still had the cordless in her room. Quietly, she snuck out of her room and into her mothers room. There it was, sitting on the bedside table. She immediately picked it up, and started dialling Daryl's cell number when she heard the loud smack, and her mother cry out in pain. If she didn't get a hold of Daryl fast, her mother would be in serious trouble. Her hands were very shaky as she held the phone up to her ear. It rang three times before the familiar sound of Daryl's voice came over the phone. "Daryl... My daddy is home."

* * *

Daryl nearly dropped his phone. Carol's husband was back. And by the sound of Sophia's voice, something was going horribly wrong. "I'll be right there." Daryl growled as Merle entered the truck.

"What's wrong baby brother?" Merle asked. Daryl's expression was not one he should be having when they were about to go hunting. Daryl loved hunting, there was no reason for him to be looking like that.

"Carol's husband is back." Daryl turned to Merle. "I gotta get the fuck over there now."

Merle was shocked at the news. "Fuck Daryl we gotta move. That asshole is gonna kill her if we don't get there soon. And who knows what he'll do to the kid. Step on it before it's too late!" Merle was set on saving Carol and Sophia. He wasn't going to admit it, but Sophia had really grown on him since he met her. She was so full of energy, and they shared a common ground. If that bastard laid a finger on Sophia, he'd kill him.

* * *

Carol cried out in pain as Ed's fist struck her jaw. She fell to the floor, tears streaming down her face. She was met with his foot kicking her hard in the stomach. "Ed I'm sorry!" She choked out, pain rushing through her entire body.

"You aren't sorry enough stupid bitch!" Ed shouted, grabbing her and pinning her against the wall. "You still have hell to pay." He growled, and punched her hard on the side of her face. Carol didn't want to know what she looked like now. She was probably recognizable. His fist came down hard on her again. She could taste the blood and tears. He dropped her to the floor, and kicked her stomach with more force than he had earlier. She felt like she couldn't move anymore. When she heard the sounds of someone coming down the stairs, her heart stopped. Sophia. She waited for the next blow from Ed, hoping he wouldn't realize Sophia was coming down the stairs. But nothing came. She looked up, and saw a very scared Sophia frozen in the middle of the room. No. Oh god no. Ed was making his way over to her. She struggled to get up, but it seemed she was powerless to do anything. All she could do was watch as he grabbed her. The sound of her baby girl's scream made her heart hurt.

"Ed please don't hurt her..." Carol whimpered.

"You know what?" Ed looked her straight in the eyes. His eyes were like daggers. "Thats exactly what I'll do. It will teach you a fucking lesson."

* * *

"Now baby brother, ya find Carol and the kid, I'll take care of Peletier." Daryl nodded. Merle opened the door slowly, and the sight before him made his blood boil. Ed was holding Sophia in a choke hold. "Peletier, ya let that girl go right fuckin' now!" Merle shouted. The sudden outburst made the man jump, and Sophia was able to escape. She ran and ducked behind the counter. Merle wasted no time storming over and dropping Ed hard on his ass. He pinned him to the ground so the worthless piece of shit couldn't escape. No one messed with a Dixon. He heard tiny cries of pain, and he looked up to see Sophia hovering over her mother. "Daryl!" Merle shouted. Daryl rushed over. He nodded over to where Carol was. "Ya take her to the hospital! I'll take care of this fucker." Merle glared down at Ed. "You think it's fun hittin' a woman?!" He yelled, punching him hard. "Time to get some of what ya dish out!"

* * *

Daryl's eyes widened as he saw Carol curled up in a ball on the ground. She was clearly in severe pain. Her face was bruised and bloody. She seemed to be clutching her stomach. He ran over to her. "Carol?" He whispered. She didn't say anything, only looked into his eyes. The look she gave him practically ripped his heart out. "C'mon Carol, were gettin' ya some help." He moved his arms underneath her and slowly lifted her off the ground. Her head rested against his chest, and she tried her best to hang onto him. He decided to take the back door. Sophia followed them out of the house and to his truck. "Now Sophia, ya gotta stay in the back of the truck with Carol, okay? Keep her awake." Daryl could tell his voice was shaky. Sophia nodded, and climbed in after Daryl laid Carol down in the back seat. "Ya take my cell and call the cops alright? Ya tell them what your daddy did. If ya can, ask for Rick. He'll understand everythin'." Rick knew about Ed, and everything he did to Carol. Unless she pressed charges, he wasn't able to do anything though. But with Sophia reporting him, he'd atleast be able to pick him up and put him in one of those holding cells. And he wasn't worried about Merle. Rick wouldn't arrest Merle after Sophia explained

* * *

everything. Now, his main focus, was getting Carol to the hospital.

Rick, along with Shane, stormed into the Peletier house. Rick and Shane had to pull Merle off of Ed. "Merle! You have to stop!" Rick shouted as Merle struggled against the two of them. "We're here to arrest the bastard!"

"Ya better get him out of my sights quick then officer friendly." Merle glared as they put Ed in handcuffs. "Ya best sentence that fucker to life."

"If we can get Carol to press charges the chances of that happening are great." Rick handed Ed off to Shane. Shane walked out of the house and threw Ed in the back of the police car. "Now, where are Sophia and Carol?"

"Daryl's takin' Carol to the hospital. She ain't lookin' so hot." Merle sighed.

Rick nodded. "Do you need a ride over to the hospital? Shane and I came in separate cars."

"Awfully kind of ya officer friendly." Merle smirked. "I think I'll take ya up on that offer. Baby brother and the kid are gonna need someone."

"Alright then." Rick started walking to the door. "Let's go."

* * *

Daryl chewed on his thumbnail as he paced back and forth down the hallway. Carol was being looked at by the doctors. X-rays, a few stitches. That fucking asshole. He couldn't imagine what would've happened if Sophia hadn't called him. Sophia. Here he was busy pacing the hallway that he didn't even give Sophia the comfort she probably needed. That experience must have been traumatic. He walked over and sat down in the chair beside her. She didn't say anything, or even acknowledge his existance. She stared blankly ahead. Daryl knew she needed comforting. Hesitantly, he put his arm around the girl. It didn't take long for her wrap her small arms around him. "She's gonna be fine, ya hear?" Daryl said quietly. "She's a survivor. She's real strong."

"Any news?" Merle asked as he came running down the hallway.

"Not yet. Should be soon though." Daryl sighed, staring at the door to the hospital room Carol was in.

"Don't ya worry none lil' brother. She'll be just fine." Merle patted Daryl on the back. Just then, a nurse stepped out of the room. She walked over to the three of them.

"Are you Daryl Dixon?" She asked.

"Yes." Daryl nodded, standing up. "How is she?"

"She has three broken ribs I'm afraid." Daryl's heart sank. She should've stayed. He shouldn't have gone hunting. If he had just stayed for breakfast he could've protected her better. Protected both of them better. "Other than that, she is quite alright. It will take around 8-10 weeks to heal I'm afraid. So make sure she doesn't strain herself. She really should rest."

"I won't let her move a muscle." Daryl shook his head.

"Good. Now, we're going to keep her here overnight. So you can feel free to leave if you wish. You can go in quickly and say goodbye to her. We should release her around noon tomorrow."

"Come on kid, let's go say goodbye to your mom." Merle motioned for Sophia to follow him. "When we're done I'll take the kid to the truck. Ya can say your goodbyes in private." Merle walked with Sophia into the room. Daryl waited outside until Merle and Sophia returned. He quickly went into the room.

"Carol I'm so sorry..." He knelt down beside the bed.

"It wasn't your fault Daryl. Please, don't blame yourself." Carol pleaded.

"But I shoulda been there to protect ya. If I had stayed for breakfast-"

"Don't." Carol stopped him. "You wouldn't have known he was coming back. No one knew." She reached her hand out and cupped his face. "Daryl, you came and rescued me from him. You and Merle saved mine and Sophia's life." She gave him a faint smile. "Now you should go home. Buy Sophia some breakfast please. And also clean up the mess I made in the kitchen..." Daryl nodded. He'd do anything for her. "I love you."

"I love ya too." Daryl held her hand on his face for a few more seconds before standing up. "I'll be here at noon to pick ya up."

"I'll be waiting." She chuckled. He could tell it hurt her. That fucking asshole. He sighed, and walked out of the room.

* * *

Daryl set the tray of food onto her lap. "How ya feelin'?" He asked. It had been six weeks since Ed had come back. And Carol was pressing charges against him. Ed wouldn't be a bother for them anymore.

"Better." Carol smiled. "I'm surprised you're not sick of me yet. You've never left my side except to get me food. You really didn't have to do that. I could've done it myself. I mean, you went as far as moving in. You didn't have to if you didn't want to."

"I wanted to." Daryl sat on the edge of the bed. "And the nurse said to get plenty of rest and that what you're gonna get."

Carol chuckled. It still hurt a little to laugh, and it probably would for a long while. "But... What if I don't want rest."

"Too bad." Daryl pointed to her food. "Now eat."

"What if I want you?" She asked, ignoring his demands. "It's been over a month..."

"You're injured Carol. Ya can't even think about doin' that at a time like this." Daryl shook his head. He wanted it too of course, but she was hurt. She needed to heal. And even after the ten weeks, they'd still have to wait a long time until she was completely fine. He didn't want to risk hurting her at all.

"But Daryl." She whined. "My body doesn't crave food, it craves you."

"Too much information!" Sophia looked disgusted as she walked into the room. Why? Why did she always have to walk into the room at the wrong time. "Is that all you two ever talk about? Like ew!"

"Sorry Sophia." Carol smiled. "Alright, I'll eat."

"Good. Now c'mon Sophia, let's let her eat in peace." Daryl quickly left with Sophia. Poor kid, always walking in on their sex talk.

_**A/N: So guys, this is technically the last chapter. The next chapter is going to be an epilogue. I'm really glad you all stuck with me on this. Warms my heart! :) I love you all!  
McBrideReedusLover.~**_


	20. Epilogue

**A Secret**

**Epilogue**

_**A/N: And so, our journey here comes to an end. I hope you enjoy the epilogue, my dears. Heart.**_  
_**McBrideReedusLover.~**_

Carol smiled and pulled him close, her lips gently pressing against his. Everyone in the room cheered. In the two years she had been dating Daryl, she never thought this day would come. Now, here she was, walking down the isle with her husband. Daryl Dixon. She couldn't help the small giggle that escaped. She had never thought Daryl Dixon was the marrying type. But sure enough, three months earlier, he had proposed to her in the most romantic way she ever thought possible.

* * *

_Carol had no idea where they were going. They had been driving for quite a while now. Daryl had called her earlier and told her to be ready, because he was taking her to dinner. Well, she had expected a restaurant, but seeing as they were in the middle of no where, that obviously wasn't the case. She looked at her watch. It was almost nine._

_"Daryl where are we going?" She asked. "You said we were going out to dinner and it's been an hour since we started driving."_

_"Just hold on woman." Daryl said calmly, keeping his eyes on the road. "We'll get there soon enough."_

_"We'll end up on the other side of the world before we get to where we're going." She murmered._

_"Ain't gonna be long now. Just hold on a bit." Daryl glanced at her. God he was so nervous. What if she said no? It would be so embarrassing. He had saved up for an entire year for the ring. Thats why it had taken him so long to do this. He would've proposed sooner, but he wanted to get the perfect ring for her. When he saw it in the store window, he knew he had to get it. A three stone diamond ring, and the band was 10K gold. It was something every girl would look for in a ring. But it was over one thousand dollars. He did not have that kind of money, hell, he barely had enough money to pay the bills every month. But he had to have it. So, he saved up. He took every extra shift he could. He was working overtime almost every week. He missed spending time with Carol and Sophia, but it would all be worth it in the end, if she said yes._

_He pulled off to the side of the road. He looked over at Carol, who looked very confused._

_"Why are we here?" Carol asked. They had stopped infront of a forest. Why?_

_"You'll see." Daryl got out of the truck. He quickly texted Merle. His phone then went off. "Just a sec." He said to Carol and got back in the truck. Carol could not here this conversation. "Did ya get it all ready?" Daryl asked._

_"Yes baby brother. Ya don't gotta get your panties in a twist. It's all set."_

_"Thanks Merle. I owe ya one." Daryl said._

_"Damn straight ya do." Merle laughed._

_"Goodbye Merle." Daryl rolled his eyes and put his phone away. He got out of the truck again and walked around to where Carol was standing. "Come on." He grabbed her hand and started leading her into the forest._

_"Daryl, slow down a bit. I'm not used to the woods you know that." Carol said, struggling to keep up with him. He went hunting with Merle every Saturday morning, since Saturday's were his day off._

_"Sorry." Daryl slowed his pace. He was just anxious to ask her. They would be walking for a good ten minutes before they actually reached their final destination. God the closer they got the more nervous he became._

_"Daryl are you alright?" She asked, stopping. He turned around to look at her._

_"Yeah, I'm fine. Come on. We're almost there." He led her through the forest until they reached the clearing. "Just up this hill." His heart was racing as he started up the hill. Hopefully this all went well._

_When they finally reached the top, Carol gasped. They had a perfect view of a lake. The sun was setting and it made the scene all the more beautiful. There was a blanket laid out in the grass, and there was a basket, two wine glasses, and a bottle of Chardonnay._

_"Daryl..." She was speechless. Did he really go out of his way to do this for her?_

_"Surprise." Daryl gave her a small smile. "Haven't been spendin' time with ya as much as I should so... Ya know, thought I'd do this for ya. Do ya like it?"_

_"I love it." Carol smiled, and wrapped her arms around him. He let out a sigh of relief and returned her embrace._

_Daryl decided to wait until the moon was in the sky. After they ate, they just talked. It had been a while since he'd just talked with her, and enjoyed her company. Usually, he was working late and when he came home she was already asleep. He hated doing it, but he needed the money. A silence had fell between them, and he decided he would ask her now. But he had no idea how to start._

_"Uh, Carol." He said, looking up at her. "I love ya."_

_"I love you too." Carol smiled._

_"Ya mean everythin to me. Hell, ya saved me woman. You're my world, and I don't want this to go away. I want to spend the rest of my life with ya. So..." He pulled out the little box from his pocket. He opened it and revealed the ring. "Will ya marry me, Carol?"_

_Carol was completely frozen. She was still trying to process what just happened. He just asked her to marry him. Something she had dreamed about for so long, but assumed would never happen. Tears started to form in her eyes as she stared at the beautiful ring. It must have cost a fortune. She looked up at him, and he seemed so nervous. Was he scared she would reject him? She couldn't form words right now, so instead of answering with words, she crashed her lips onto his, causing him to fall backwards. She showered his face with kisses before pulling away. She stared into his eyes, and nodded. "Yes." She finally choked out. "Yes I will."_

* * *

"So uh... Do we gotta dance or somethin'?" Daryl leaned over and whispered in her ear.

"You mean the first dance? Yes, we do have to. Sorry Daryl." Carol chuckled, kissing him on the cheek. She heard him mutter something. "Don't worry, I'll make it all up to you tonight." She whispered.

"Ya damn well better. Cuttin' me off for three months, that was just cruel." It was true. Aside from the night he proposed, she completely cut him off from sex. After a week, he started trying every night. Sure, the temptation was great, but she stayed strong and held her ground. She wanted to wait after that night. Because then she knew on the wedding night it would be amazing.

* * *

"You remember how to dance, right?" Carol asked as they made their way onto the dance floor.

"Yeah..." Daryl hated this. They were the only ones on the dance floor, and everyone was staring at them.

"Good." Carol smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. As they started to dance, she remember the first time she dragged him out onto the floor. "You remember when we first danced together? All those things I whispered to you?" She grinned.

"Don't you even fuckin' start that again." Daryl warned her quietly. "Ya don't say that shit to a man who has been waitin' three months."

Carol just giggled and pecked his lips. "You're so cute when you're needy."

"Ya think so? Then I must be fuckin' adorable." He smirked. Carol just chuckled and pressed her forehead against his.

* * *

"So kid, how ya feel 'bout gettin' a new daddy?" Merle asked as he sat down beside Sophia.

"I love it." Sophia smiled. "Because I know Daryl loves mom. And he's nice and he buys me things."

"Wait, ya mean ya con my brother?" Merle tilted his head. Sophia just shrugged. "Kid you are amazin'." Merle laughed. "Now I get to call ya my niece. Ain't that somethin'?"

"That's pretty awesome. We can make fun of them some more!" Sophia grinned. "And you can buy me stuff too."

"Ya might be able to con my brother, but ya can't con me." Merle winked. "Maybe if I'm feelin' good I'll take ya to get some ice cream or whatever shit it is that little girls like."

"I'm fourteen years old, I'm not a little girl. I'm a teenager." Sophia protested.

"Same thing." Merle shrugged. "Age don't make much difference. Ya still a little girl in my eyes. Sorry kid." Merle looked around before asking Sophia a question. "So, ya got a boyfriend yet? Someone Daryl's gonna have to kill?"

"No!" Sophia's face started to turn red. "I don't have a boyfriend. And Daryl made it clear I can't date until I'm eighteen."

Merle laughed at that. "Figures. Well, I say ya can date whenever ya want. I'm older than him, so ya should listen to me. I can boss him around."

"Like hell." Daryl was standing behind him, his arms crossed. He heard every word of that conversation. What an asshole. "Ya ain't datin 'till you're eighteen and out of the house or I'm dead, which ever comes last."

"Come on Daryl, ya bein' too hard on the kid. She wants to date, let her." Merle punched Daryl in the arm.

"I don't trust any boys. Especially that Carl kid." Daryl crossed his arms.

"Ya used to like him before." Merle argued.

"That was before he started lookin' at her." Daryl shot back.

"I'm right here guys!" Sophia pouted.

"Good. Listen to this and learn that ya ain't datin' for a long time." And with that, he walked away.

"Don't listen to him. If ya want to date someone, go ahead. Ol' Merle here will keep it a secret." He whispered. Sophia just rolled her eyes. Adults were so weird.

* * *

Lori ran over to Carol and gave her a big hug. "I haven't had a chance to say congratulations! You're married now! To Daryl Dixon! You know, Carol Dixon has a wonderful ring to it." She grinned.

"It does, doesn't it." Carol chuckled.

"Okay, so, me and Rick didn't get you a wedding gift. Well, we did, but not like the other people. I know you don't have much money, afterall he saved up for a year to buy that expensive ring to propose to you." Lori started.

"Wait, a year?" Carol was shocked. He never actually told her how long he saved up, just that he saved up for a while. She didn't know it was that long.

"Yeah." Lori nodded.

"Wait again." Carol just figured something out. "You knew about it?"

"Sweetheart, we all knew about it." Lori confessed. Carol was shocked even more. "But, thats beside the point. I now you don't have much money to spend these days, so, Rick and I, we paid for you two to spend the night in the fanciest hotel here. We got the penthouse for you guys. There is a very expensive bottle of champaign in the cooler waiting for you. And it has a wonderful king sized bed. There is also a hot tub in the bathroom. Very beautiful room. And very expensive, but we wanted to give you a real wedding night." Lori smiled.

"Oh my gosh." Carol was amazed. "You didn't have to do that for us Lori."

"But I did." Lori nodded. "You deserve it. He's a keeper, Carol. And don't worry about Sophia. We got Merle to stay at your house to make sure she's alright."

"I hope he doesn't break anything." Carol chuckled.

"Aw, I wouldn't do that sis." Merle threw an arm around her. She didn't know he was standing behind her. "I'd only break Daryl's stuff."

"Better fuckin' not." Daryl smacked Merle on the back of the head. "Can we leave now? I wanna get out of here." Daryl whispered to her.

"Anxious to get her to bed are ya baby brother?" Merle smirked.

"Shut up." Daryl growled, his cheeks turning red.

Lori laughed. "Go on you two. We'll clean up this place. The reservation is under your name Carol, so just tell them and they'll give you the room key." Lori whispered.

"Thanks." Carol smiled back and took hold of Daryl's hand. "Lets go." Together, they made their way out of the building and towards her car. "I'll drive." She said, getting into the drivers side. She could tell Daryl found it a bit strange, but he didn't complain. She pulled out of the parking lot, and headed in the opposite direction of their home.

"Where are ya goin'?" Daryl asked, clearly confused.

"You'll see." She smiled. "You'll see."

* * *

"The fuck we doin' here? I can't afford this!" Daryl said as he stared at the hotel.

"I know. This is Lori and Rick's gift to us." Carol walked into the lobby. "Wait here." She said, and walked up to the front desk. Daryl looked around the large hotel lobby. He smirked a little. A hotel was where it all started. "What are you smirking about?" Carol asked him as she returned with the room key.

"Just rememberin' is all." Daryl grinned.

"Remembering what?" Carol tilted her head.

"I wonder if the elevator will get stuck again." Daryl said as he walked towards the elevator. Carol finally understood.

"Well if it does, we can just take a stroll down memory lane." She stepped inside the elevator. She pressed the button for the top floor. The elevator doors opened, and she grabbed hold of Daryl's hand as they walked down the hallway. "Here we are." She grinned.

"The penthouse?" Daryl asked. She nodded. "Holy shit." Carol laughed and opened the door. The room was huge. There were petals sprinkled over the bed. There were two wine glasses sitting on top of the cooler.

"Wow." Carol was amazed. Daryl shut the door behind them.

"I've been waitin' three months woman. Three long months." He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. He went to kiss her, but she raised a finger to his lips. He groaned impatiently.

"The waiting isn't over yet baby." She smiled, stepping out of his embrace. He sighed in frustration and flopped onto the bed. She heard him mutter 'Why do you hate me'. She just shook her head. "I'm going to check out the bathroom." She wanted to see that hot tub. She opened the bathroom door, and it was beautiful. The hot tub had petals floating in the water as well. There was also a little closet in the bathroom. When she opened it up, she saw a bikini and swim trunks, along with a note.

"I figured you wouldn't have a bathing suite, so I got you a new one and Merle broke into your house to get Daryl's swim trunks. Sorry about that last part. PS, you'll find a surprise waiting for you in the drawer beside the bed. Don't let Daryl see it. Have fun. Lori."

Carol looked at the new swim suite. It was red, her favorite color. The top part of the bikini was strapless. Figures Lori would buy her something like that. But she was very curious about what was in that drawer. She grabbed her bikini and walked out of the bathroom. "Daryl, go change into your swim trunks in the bathroom. They're in the closet. I'll change out here."

"I've seen ya naked before ya know. Not like ya have anythin' to hide." Daryl sat up.

"If you see me naked you'll pounce on me, I don't need that yet." Carol smirked. "Now go." She pulled him up off the bed and pushed him towards the bathroom. Daryl rolled his eyes and shut the door behind him. Excellent. She rushed over to the drawer and opened it. Another note.

"Found this little number while shopping for your bikini. It is sure to turn that redneck on. Lori." Carol pulled out a small see through night dress. She held it up to herself, and realized it was very, very short. It would barely cover below the waist. She looked back in the drawer and saw some black lace underwear. It matched the night dress. She was supposed to wear this? Well, it would certainly do the trick to seduce him, not that she really had to. But what the hell. It was her wedding night. She put it back in the drawer, and changed into her bikini.

* * *

"Are ya done yet?" Daryl called through the door. "Been fuckin' waitin' for like five minutes."

"Sorry." Carol chuckled. "Can I come in?"

"What do ya think?" Daryl asked, opening the door. She looked really good in that bikini. "Do ya enjoy torturin' me?" He looked her up and down.

"Yes." She pushed past him and climbed into the hot tub. "Oh, this is nice." She sighed contently. "I wish I could sit in one of these every day." She moved over to where Daryl had settled. "Don't you wish you could just take a break and relax in one of these?"

"Been wishin' I could take a break for a while." Daryl sighed.

Carol wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Lori told me about how long you saved up for the ring... You didn't have to do that. I know working so long stressed you out. I would've been fine with any old ring."

"Ya deserved the best." Daryl kissed the side of her head.

"I have the best thing in the world already. A man who loves me for me." Carol smiled, and moved so she was sitting on his lap. "I couldn't ask for better man to call my husband." She leaned forward and kissed him softly. "I love you, Daryl Dixon."

"I love ya too, Carol Dixon." He winked.

Carol giggled and kissed his cheek. Now it was time to have some fun. She trailed her lips down to his neck, and back up to just below his ear. It had always been a sweet spot for him.

"This ain't fair woman..." Daryl said in a low voice. "Ya can't tease a man like that..."

"Oh yes I can." Carol smiled, continuing her actions.

"Please not tonight..." Daryl begged.

"Why not? You can't stand to have a little fun beforehand?" Carol teased, kissing the corner of his mouth.

"No I can't. Now stop it or I'm carryin' ya over to that bed right now."

Carol smirked and pressed her lips against his. "Go ahead." She whispered, tugging on his lower lip.

Not even caring about the fact that they were soaking wet, Daryl picked her up bride style and headed out of the bathroom and towards the bed.

"Wait, Daryl." Carol stopped him. "I think I forgot something in the car. Could you go get it?"

"What did ya forget?" Daryl asked, sounding a little annoyed.

"My phone. I don't want anyone to steal it. It should be on the seat." She made up that lie just to get him out of the room. He groaned and set her down before grabbing both the cars key and the room key. He threw on his jacket. Without a word, he disappeared down the hallway. "Thank god." She sighed in relief, and ran over to the drawer. She grabbed the little outfit, and hurried back into the washroom.

* * *

"There was no fuckin' phone on the seat." Daryl called as he entered the room. He didn't see her at all. "Carol?" He asked. Where was she. The bathroom door was closed. Was she in there? "Carol, ya in here?" He asked, knocking on the door.

"Yeah." Carol was nervous. She had spent the entire time looking at herself in the mirror. She didn't have the best figure. She felt rediculous wearing this outfit, but it was all for him. She knew he'd appreciate it. She took a deep breath, and stepped away from the mirror. Gathering all her courage, she opened the door.

Daryl's mouth dropped. He had absolutely no words to describe how sexy she looked right now. When did she find the time to get that without him knowing about it? His erection grew the more he stared at her. God, he needed her right now. Without warning, he picking her up and started carrying her to the bed. She giggled at how anxious he was. He gently laid her down on the bed before crawling ontop of her. He hovered over her, taking in her beauty. "Ya made me wait three whole months Carol..."

"I'm not making you wait anymore." She smiled up at him. Her eyes were full of lust.

Daryl leaned down and kissed her passionately. He wasted no time slipping his tongue into her mouth. She moaned as their tongues fought for dominance. He moved his hand up her dress, cupping her bare skin. He waited too long for this. He quickly took off her dress and threw it away. His lips moved down to her breast. His tongue gently caressed her skin. She moaned louder at his actions.

Not long after their clothes littered the floor. Now it was his time for teasing. He continued to hover over her, gently kissing her neck.

"Daryl this is just cruel..." She said in a hushed tone.

"Ya made me wait for three months. This is payback." He smirked.

"Well hurry up, because my body is aching for you." She pleaded.

Daryl grinned. The moment he had been waiting for was finally here. He thrust into her, earning a gasp from her. God, how he had missed the feel of her body.

* * *

Daryl rolled over onto the empty space beside her. They were both out of breath. Three times. Three times they had sex. On the bed, in the hot tub, and then on the bed again. Talk about a wedding night.

"Please tell me ya ain't gonna cut me off that long again." Daryl looked over at her.

"I can't stand to be away from you that long." She rolled onto her side so she was facing him. "This was the best night I've ever had." It was the best wedding night she had ever had as well. With Ed it was nothing special. He spent most of the night in the bar and then came home. It was just a quick drunk fuck and he was fast asleep. Some wedding night. But now, that fucker was rotting in jail. He was sentenced to life. She had never been so happy in her life. There was no chance he'd ever come back to haunt her. Her life had turned from crap to heaven, all thanks to a man named Daryl Dixon.

"Was the best night I ever had too." Daryl pulled her closer to him. "I love ya so much."

"I love you too." Carol smiled, leaning forward so her lips touched his. "And now I get to love you for the rest of my life. You're stuck with me, Daryl." She chuckled.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Daryl smiled lovingly at her. Never did he think he would find a woman like Carol. Hell, he hadn't even given romance a second thought before he ran into Carol. But he was so glad he found her. She was the perfect woman. She shared a past much like his. The day he confessed everything to her, it was like a giant weight had been lifted off him. She was what he lived for now. Her and that little girl who he now called his daughter.

"Well, now that we're married, we're bound to get into fights. But I want you to remember something. Even if I say things to out of anger, hurtful things, I will never stop loving you. I will love you till the day I die. Remember that." Carol had tears in her eyes. Daryl smiled and wiped away the tear that fell.

"Ya best remember that too." He said. She nodded. "Good. Now maybe we should get some shut eye, considerin' check out is eleven and it's three in the morning."

"But I'm not finished with you yet Dixon." Carol grinned mischeviously.

"Ya mean ya wanna go again?" Daryl asked in shock.

"Oh yeah." Carol whispered, straddling his lap. "After all, three months is a long time."

"Ya got that right." Daryl smirked. "Shouldn't this be reversed?" He asked, referring to their current position.

"Oh no, it's my turn to be on top." Carol responded.

"God, you're fuckin' hot when you say that." Daryl growled.

"It's what I was aiming for." She leaned forward, kissing his neck softly.

Their wedding night quickly disappeared, but it certainly wasn't wasted. It was filled with romance and passion. Everything they had hoped it would be and more. It was a beautiful start to the second half of their lives. Though they sometimes fought, it was quickly forgotten by the night. Every day they spent together was a blessing. They were the perfect family. They had their share of troubles, like every family did, but in the end, neither Carol or Daryl could've asked for anything better.

As Merle always said, "It ain't a secret. Ya have it pretty damn good."

_**A/N: And with that, we end our journey. This, this chapter here, was the longest chapter I have ever written in the history of ever. 4000+ words! :D! I want to say thank you to EVERYONE who read/favorited/followed this story, and that you all stuck with me. It was amazing to write this fic. I'm so happy. Thank you all again! R&R lovelies, and I hope you enjoyed A Secret.**_  
_**McBrideReedusLover.~**_


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